Play - Shibai

Originally, it meant a sacred lawn in the precincts of a shrine or temple, but around the time of the Northern and Southern Courts, it came to mean a lawn in general, and was even used as a verb, such as "to play" to mean to hang out on a lawn. In the Muromachi period, public performances such as Sarugaku (traditional Japanese musical theatre), Dengaku (traditional Japanese dance), and Kusemai (traditional Japanese dance) were held on outdoor stages, with the lawn surrounded by fences used as seating for the spectators, so the word "shibai" came to mean a seating area for entertainment in particular. When seats were provided for spectators, they were expensive and aimed at the nobility, so the seats for the general public were used for the theater. When Kabuki (traditional Japanese theatre) was established in the early modern period, the word "shibai" expanded to mean the entire theater, including the seating area, as it was originally a form of entertainment for the common people, and it even came to mean the Kabuki itself that was performed there. At the same time, terms such as "puppet theater" were also born. Therefore, the word "shibai" (theater) is an ambiguous word that includes multiple meanings such as theater, drama, and acting. This also symbolizes the unique character of Japanese theater.

[Yukio Hattori]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

元来は社寺の境内などの神聖な芝生の意味であったが、南北朝ごろから一般に芝生をさしていうようになり、芝のある場所にたむろすることを「芝居する」というように動詞化しても使われた。室町時代になり、猿楽(さるがく)・田楽(でんがく)・曲舞(くせまい)などの勧進興行が露天に舞台を構えて行われ、柵(さく)で囲った芝生がその見物席にあてられたことから、芝居はとくに芸能の見物席の意味をもつようになった。見物席に桟敷(さじき)が設けられるときは、桟敷は高価で貴族向けであったため、芝居は一般大衆席にあてられた。近世初頭に歌舞伎(かぶき)が成立すると、これは元来庶民的な芸能であったことから、芝居ということばが拡大され、ついに見物席を含めた劇場全体をさすようになり、さらにはそこで演じられる歌舞伎そのものをもさすように転じた。同時に「操(あやつり)人形芝居」などの語も生まれる。したがって、「芝居」ということばは、劇場・演劇・演技など多義をそのなかに含みもつ、あいまいなことばである。そして、そのことが日本演劇のユニークな性格を象徴することにもなっている。

［服部幸雄］

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