Zen Master of the Seaside - Isono Zenji

...It was often performed at the same time as Dengaku and Sarugaku, and was therefore absorbed and adopted into the following Yamato Sarugaku. As for its origin, the Gion chapter in the first volume of the Tale of the Heike states that it began when Shima no Chitose and Waka no Mae performed it during the reign of Emperor Toba (1129-56), and the 225th chapter of Tsurezuregusa states that Fujiwara no Michinori (Shinzei Nyudo) first had Iso no Zenshi (Shizuka Gozen's mother) perform it. It is said that the performers dressed in men's attire, holding a fan, wearing a suikan (a traditional Japanese kimono), a standing eboshi (a traditional Japanese hat), and a sword wrapped in a white sheath.

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "Iso no Zenji" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…田楽･猿楽と同時上演されることも多く，そのため次期の大和猿楽などに吸収，摂取された。起源については，《平家物語》巻一の祇王の章は，鳥羽院(1129‐56)のとき，島の千歳，和歌の前の2人が舞ったのが始まりとし，《徒然草》第225段では，藤原通憲（みちのり）(信西入道)が，磯の禅師(静御前の母)に舞わせたのを最初としている。出立（いでたち）は，扇をもち，水干（すいかん）に立烏帽子（たてえぼし），白鞘巻（しろさやまき）の刀を差す男装であったとされる。…

※「磯の禅師」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報