Hanamichi - Flower Path

Japanese: 花道 - はなみち

A special feature of the Kabuki stage. It is an aisle for actors to enter and exit, which runs perpendicular to the stage, through the audience seats on the left side of the stage (shitate). Its length varies depending on the theater, but it is about 1.5m wide. The purpose of the hanamichi is that a different scene from the one on the stage can be set on the hanamichi, which is important in terms of directing. It is said to have been named after the path on which the favorite performer gave gifts (hana) to the actor, and it developed into a role similar to that of the hashikake (bridge) on the Noh stage. It is said that it has taken on its current form since around 1740. Currently, it is permanently installed on the shitate side (hon-hanamichi), and sometimes temporarily installed on the shitate side, which is called kari-hanamichi or higashi-no-ayumi (temporary hanamichi) or higashi-no-ayumi (east walk). From the middle to the end of the Edo period, these two hanamichi were always in place, but in modern times, kari-hanamichi is only installed when necessary. The part of the hanamichi that is about seven minutes from the agemaku and three minutes from the stage is called shichisan. The main actors always perform some kind of act at this shichisan when they enter and exit the stage. This is called a shichisan performance. At this position, there is a square cutout in the floor that allows the performers to go up and down from the pit. This is called a "kiriana" or "suppon." In addition, the passageway that wrestlers use to enter and exit the ring in sumo arenas is also called a hanamichi.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

歌舞伎舞台の特殊な機構の一つ。舞台に向って左のほう (下手) に客席を貫いて舞台と直交して設けられている，俳優が出入りする通路。長さは劇場によって違いがあるが，幅は約 1.5m。花道の効用は，舞台上とは別の場面を花道上に設定できることで，演出上重要である。贔屓 (ひいき) から俳優への贈り物 (はな) をするための道というところから名づけられたといわれ，それが発達して能舞台の橋懸りと同じような役目をもつにいたった。現在のような形となったのは，おおむね元文5 (1740) 年頃以降といわれる。現在は下手に常設 (本花道) されるほか，上手寄りに仮設されることもあり，これを仮花道または東の歩みという。江戸時代中期から末期にかけてはこの両花道は常備されていたが，近代以後仮花道は必要な場合にだけ設けられるようになった。花道の全体のうち揚幕から七分，舞台から三分ぐらいの位置を七三 (しちさん) という。この七三で主たる役は登場，退場にあたって必ずなんらかの演技を示す。これを七三の演技という。この位置には床を四角に切抜いて，奈落から上下できるような機構がある。これを「切り穴」または「すっぽん」という。また相撲場で，力士が土俵に出入りする通路も花道という。

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