Kurogo - Black Robe

A term used in Kabuki and Bunraku. It is the title of a role played by a person who appears on stage wearing a black cotton kimono with short sleeves and a black hood, and assists the actors in their performances and the progress of the play. It is originally the name of the costume, but it is also used to refer to the role that wears it. There are two types of kurogin based on their nature. One is the role of a so-called "guardian" who assists the actors performing on stage, providing them with aibiki to put on, helping them take off their costumes, handing over necessary props, and taking away props that are no longer needed. This role is often played by an apprentice of the actor. The other is the role of a prompter who stays behind the props to teach the actors their lines after the opening night until they have memorized them, and this role is played by a kyogen actor (nowadays a kyogen composer). Even if the kuro-gin performers are on stage, they are not considered to be characters. In snow scenes, the yuki-goken in white clothes play the same role, in underwater scenes the mizu-goken in light blue clothes play the same role, and in underwater scenes the nami-goken in wave patterned clothes play the same role. In Bunraku, when the puppeteers are "dispatch", all puppeteers, including puppeteers other than the omo-tsukai and puppeteer of the tsume puppet, wear kuro-gin, and also deliver the opening remarks introducing the kyogen name, scene division, tayu, and shamisen. The collar of the Bunraku kuro-gin is fastened with a red string.

[Yukio Hattori]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

歌舞伎(かぶき)、文楽(ぶんらく)用語。黒木綿(もめん)の詰め袖(そで)の着物を着て、黒頭巾(ずきん)をかぶって舞台に出て、俳優の演技や劇の進行の介添えをする役の者の称。本来はその衣裳(いしょう)の名称であるが、それを着る役の称にも用いる。黒衣にはその性質上二つの種類がある。一つは、いわゆる「後見(こうけん)」の役で、舞台で演技している俳優を補助し、合引(あいびき)を出して掛けさせたり、衣裳を脱ぐ手伝いや、必要な小道具の手渡し、不要になった小道具の取りかたづけなどをしたりする。これはその俳優の弟子筋の者が勤めることが多い。いま一つは、初日が開いて以後、俳優が台詞(せりふ)を覚え込むまでの間、道具の陰にいて台詞を教えるプロンプターの役で、このほうは狂言方（今日では狂言作者）から出て勤める。黒衣は舞台に出ていても登場人物とはみなさない約束である。なお、雪の場面では白色の衣裳の雪後見、水中の場面では浅葱(あさぎ)色の衣裳の水後見、海中の場面では浪(なみ)模様の衣裳の浪後見がそれぞれ同様の役目を勤める。文楽では、「出遣(でづか)い」の場合にはオモ遣い以外の人形遣い、ツメ人形の遣い手など、出遣いと断らない場合、すべての人形遣いが黒衣を着て勤めるほか、狂言名、場割、太夫(たゆう)、三味線を紹介する口上も黒衣が述べる。文楽の黒衣は衿(えり)を赤い紐(ひも)で留める。

［服部幸雄］

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