Kanze Motomasa

Japanese: 観世元雅 - かんぜ・もとまさ

Year of death: August 1, 1432 (August 26, 1432)
Year of birth: Year of birth unknown. Noh actor of the mid-Muromachi period. Son of Zeami and Kotobuki Tsubaki. Although expected to be the successor, he died young, but opened up a new frontier in Noh play. Nicknamed Juro. Real name Motomasa (original name may have been Mototsugu). Buddhist name Yoshiharu. His younger brother was Motonobu, the editor of Sarugaku Dangi. He was likely born around 1400 or 1401, after Zeami adopted his nephew Motoshige. He became the third Kanze Dayu around 1402 when Zeami became a monk (however, later Kanze troupes do not count Motomasa as a successor), but nothing is known about his activities before that, and there is no evidence of any notable activities after that. In his memorial essay, Yumeato Ichishi, Zeami praised Motomasa highly, calling him "an unparalleled master, even though he was only a child," and "his skill surpassed that of his grandfather." However, in reality, Motomasa was overshadowed by his older cousin, the talented Motoshige. In particular, after Ashikaga Yoshinori, who was a fan of Motoshige, became shogun in 1428, Motomasa gradually became overwhelmed and his activities were restricted. Perhaps hoping to overcome his predicament, in November 1430, he dedicated a magistrate's mask to Tenkawa Benzaiten in Yoshino, but this was in vain, and he died in exile in Ise two years later. The death of Motomasa, who had "written down and handed down all the secret teachings and mysteries of the way" (Yumeato Ichishi), came as a great shock to Zeami. However, Motomasa was already a genius as a playwright, and his works include "Sumidagawa," "Yoroboshi," "Utauranai," "Morihisa," "Yoshino Koto," as well as "Tomonaga" and "Shigehira (Kasa Sotsu Miyako Sugata)." He overcame the lukewarmness of his father's Noh, and produced many unique works that sharply explore the situations and inner thoughts of people at the mercy of fate.

(Matsuoka Shinpei)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：永享4.8.1(1432.8.26)
生年：生年不詳
室町中期の能役者。世阿弥と寿椿の子。後継者として嘱望されながら早世したが,能作に新生面を切り開いた。通称十郎。実名元雅(初名は元次か)。法名善春。弟に『申楽談儀』の編者元能がいる。世阿弥が甥の元重を養嗣子にしたのちの,応永7,8(1400,01)年ごろの生まれらしい。世阿弥が出家した応永29年ごろ3代目観世大夫となったが(ただし後代の観世座では元雅を歴代に数えない),それ以前の活動は知られていず,以後もめざましい活動の形跡はない。世阿弥は追悼文『夢跡一紙』で「子ながらもたぐひなき達人」「祖父にも越えたる堪能」と元雅を高く評価しているが実際は年長のいとこで芸達者の元重のかげに隠れた存在であった。ことに正長1(1428)年,元重贔屓の足利義教が将軍になってからは次第に圧倒され,活動を封じられていく。苦境の打開を願ってか,永享2(1430)年11月,吉野の天河弁財天に尉面を奉納しているが,効なく2年後に伊勢の津に客死。「道の秘伝・奥儀ことごとく記し伝へ」(『夢跡一紙』)た元雅の死は,世阿弥にとって大きな衝撃であった。しかし元雅は劇作家としてすでに天才的で,「隅田川」「弱法師」「歌占」「盛久」「吉野琴」のほか「朝長」「重衡(笠卒都姿)」などもその作と考えられるが,父の能の生ぬるさを克服,運命にもてあそばれる人間の状況や内面に鋭く迫る異色作が多い。

(松岡心平)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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