Sangaku - Sangaku

A form of miscellaneous art that includes acrobatics, magic tricks, illusions, and comical impersonations. It is said to have originated in the Western Regions, but was introduced to Japan from China during the Nara period. Wall paintings at Dunhuang depict acrobatics and acrobatics, and words such as sangaku and miscellaneous art appear in works such as the Book of Zhou, proving that it already existed in China around the time of Christ. In China, it was widely performed as vulgar music, in contrast to the aristocratic gagaku. The section on sangaku in the Tang Huiyao lists many pieces, including actors, singing and dancing, miscellaneous music, sword throwing, fringe pole playing, and a fish-dragon that transforms into water. According to the "Sangaku Picture" painted on a dangu (bow), a treasure of the Shosoin Repository, as well as the "Shinzei Kogaku Picture" and "Shin Sarugaku Ki", it was a miscellaneous pastime consisting of acrobatics, acrobatics, magic, illusions and impersonations, and was also described as rap, acting and a hundred plays, and it is believed that the forms of entertainment that were introduced to Japan were similar to those from mainland China.

When Sangaku was first introduced, it was taught in the Gakudo (classrooms) of the Gagaku-ryo (Japanese court music school), but in 782 (Enryaku 1), the Sangakudo was abolished and removed from the national organization in the early Heian period. However, it did not disappear, and in the Heian period it spread to the general public, and was actively performed at banquets and festivals, and specialized performers called Sangaku priests were born. However, the acrobatics, acrobatics, and magic tricks that were the core of Sangaku arts gradually declined in the Kamakura period and were passed on to Dengaku priests and Houkashi, and later to lion dance, Daikagura, and Yose, which remain to this day. In parallel with this change in the core art of Sangaku, the name of Sangaku changed to Sarugaku, and gradually it was unified under the characters Sarugaku, and the content of the art changed to focus on humorous impersonations and singing and dancing. Sarugaku developed during the Kamakura period and gave rise to Noh and Kyogen.

[Kyoko Goto]

“Sangaku Genryuko” by Kamekichi Ogata (1954, Sanwa Shobo)”

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

曲芸、手品、幻術、滑稽物真似(こっけいものまね)を内容とする雑芸(ぞうげい)。発生は西域(せいいき)地方というが、奈良時代に中国から日本に伝来した。敦煌(とんこう)の壁画に軽業(かるわざ)、曲芸の図があり、『周書』などには散楽雑戯などの語がみられるから、中国ではすでに紀元前後のころに存在していたことがわかる。中国では貴族的な雅楽(ががく)に対し卑俗な俗楽として広く行われた。『唐会要(とうかいよう)』の散楽の条には、俳優、歌舞、雑奏、擲剣(てきけん)、縁竿(えんかん)、激水化魚竜など多くの曲目があげられている。また、正倉院宝物の弾弓(だんぐう)に描かれた「散楽図」や『信西古楽図』『新猿楽(さるがく)記』などによると、軽業、曲芸、奇術、幻術、物真似(ものまね)などの雑戯であって、乱舞(らっぷ)、俳優(わざおぎ)、百戯(ひゃくぎ)とも記されており、日本に入ってきたものも中国大陸のものと同じような内容であったと思われる。

　散楽は伝来当初は雅楽寮の楽戸(がくこ)で養成されていたが、平安初期の782年（延暦1）に散楽戸は廃止となり、国家組織から外された。しかし、滅亡することはなく、平安時代には一般に流布し、宴会の場や祭礼などに盛んに行われ、散楽法師とよばれる専門の者が生まれた。しかし、散楽芸の中心であった曲芸、軽業、奇術などは鎌倉時代になってしだいに衰え、田楽(でんがく)法師や放下(ほうか)師などの手に移り、のちには獅子舞(ししまい)、太神楽(だいかぐら)、寄席(よせ)に伝えられ今日に残った。散楽の中心芸がこうした推移をたどるのと並行して、散楽は猿楽(さるがく)と名称が変化し、しだいに猿楽という文字に統一され、芸内容も滑稽物真似や歌舞を中心としたものに変わっていった。この猿楽が鎌倉時代に発展して能と狂言を創造したのである。

［後藤　淑］

『尾形亀吉著『散楽源流考』（1954・三和書房）』

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