Stopping direction

The title of a Kyogen piece. Tarokaja Kyogen. The master of a tea ceremony, which was very popular at the time, orders Tarokaja (shite) to go and borrow not only the finest tea but also everything he needs from his uncle, including a teapot, a sword, and a horse to ride on during the journey. When the master finally arrives, impatiently waiting to borrow the tea, the master arrives halfway to greet him. Without offering a word of thanks, he suddenly scolds him and gets on horseback. The horse (wearing a mask of Kentoku) has a habit of becoming violent when it coughs, and the master has been taught the spell "Calm down, move in the right direction" to calm it down. The master clears his throat, knocking the master off his horse, and then calms it down with a spell. The master has no choice but to let the monk ride and allows him to practice using people in preparation for when he is promoted. However, the monk repeats the exact act that the master scolded him for. The angry master pushes the monk off his horse and gets back on it, but the monk coughs and he falls off his horse, which then runs off into the distance.

The tea contest was a kind of game in which participants competed over the quality of tea and guessed the place of origin, and it was also a major social occasion where food was served and a banquet was held afterwards. The conflict between Tarokaja, who is constantly asserting himself while being bossed around by his master who is trying his best to show off, is played out making full use of the characteristics of the Noh stage.

[Mitsuo Yuya]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

狂言の曲名。太郎冠者(たろうかじゃ)狂言。当世大流行の茶競(ちゃくら)べに出席することになった主人は、太郎冠者（シテ）に命じて伯父のところから、極上の茶ばかりか、茶壺(ちゃつぼ)、太刀(たち)、道中に乗る馬までの、仕度いっさいを借りに行かせる。冠者がようようの思いで借りてくると、しびれを切らして途中まで出迎えた主人は、ねぎらいのことばもかけず、いきなり叱(しか)りつけ馬上の人となる。この馬（賢徳(けんとく)の面を使用）には、咳(せき)をすると暴れる癖(くせ)があり、冠者はそれを鎮める呪文(じゅもん)「静まりたまえ、止動方角」を教わっていた。冠者は咳払いをして主人を落馬させ、呪文で馬を鎮める。主人はしかたなく冠者を乗せ、冠者が出世したときのために人を使う稽古(けいこ)を許す。ところが、冠者は先ほど主人が叱ったとおりを再現。怒った主人は冠者を突き落とし馬に乗るが、冠者の咳でたちまち落馬、馬ははるかかなたを逃げて行く。

　茶競べは、茶の優劣を競ったり、産地当てなどをする一種の遊技で、その後に料理が出て宴会となる一大社交場でもあった。精いっぱいの見栄を張りたい主人に振り回されつつ、随所に自己主張をする太郎冠者との葛藤(かっとう)が能舞台の特徴を縦横に使って繰り広げられる。

［油谷光雄］

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