Itchu-bushi

The name of a school of joruri that was founded by Miyakodayu Itchu (1650-1724). It is currently considered one of the ancient songs along with Ogie-bushi, Kato-bushi, and Miyazono-bushi. It originated in Kyoto and flourished during the Hoei and Shotoku eras (1704-16), but gradually declined and later took root in Edo, where it was revived as a parlor entertainment. The first Itchu was originally the head priest of Myofuku-ji Temple of the Kyoto Hongan-ji school, and in 1670 (Kanbun 10) at the age of 21, he returned to secular life and took the name Suga Senboku. His teacher was Echigo no Jo of Kyoto, later known as Miyamandayu. It is not clear when he established his first-class style, but after taking the name Miyako Tayu Ichichu, he was active during the Hoei and Shotoku eras, and also appeared in plays at the Ichimura-za in Edo from 1715 to 1719.

After the death of the first, his son Wakadayu succeeded him as the second. He later received the title of Izuminojo and took the name Kyodayu Izuminojo. Then in 1734 (Kyoho 19), Miyakohideyu Senchu, who gained great acclaim with his play "Yugasumi Asamagatake," succeeded him as the third. The fourth was succeeded by the first's son-in-law Kindayu Sanchu (later renamed Azumaji Miyakodayu), who is said to have made a great contribution by spreading Itchu-bushi to Edo, but there is also a different theory about the succession of the names of the third and fourth generations, which says that Sanchu succeeded as the third and Senchu ​​as the fourth. The 5th generation was succeeded by Chiba Karoku (1760-1822), whose real name was Chiba Karoku (according to Takeuchi Michitaka's oral presentation "On the 5th Generation Miyako Itchu" at the Japan Association for Theatre Studies on June 1, 1974, it is speculated that Chiba Karoku was the 7th generation and the 5th generation was the grandson of the 2nd generation Itchu). He cooperated with and partnered with Yamabiko Shinjiro (later renamed Sugano Joyu, 1756-1823), a shamisen player of Kawato-bushi, and worked hard to revive and recover the slumping performance of Itchu-bushi.

The second Joyu (1784-1841), the biological son of the first Joyu, broke away from the seventh Itchu and established his own branch of the Sugano school of Itchu-bushi in 1839 (Tenpo 10). On the other hand, Katsuta Gonzaemon, who studied under the second Joyu, switched to the Miyako school for a time and changed his name to Ikkansai, and then in 1849 (Kaei 2) he took the name Uji Shibunsai (1791-1858) and established the Uji school of Itchu-bushi. In this way, three schools were formed, with the Miyako school headed by the 12th head Icchu (Tokiwazu Mojizo), the Uji school headed by the 7th head Shibun (Umezu Hirofuji), and the Sugano school not having a head system but continuing to the present day as the Sugano-kai. Although the schools were dissolved in 1950 (Showa 25) when the Icchu-setsu Sowa-kai was formed, the various schools remain in harmony and each strive to preserve and nurture Icchu-bushi.

As for the style of music, while at first glance it appears simple, it has a refined and austere flavor, and the Kamigata style is also evident, and therefore, when portraying a refined mood in Bungo-style Joruri, Utazawa, and Kouta songs, it is considered one of the means of composition to frequently use the Itchu-bushi melody. The characteristics of the three schools are that Miyako is flashy and has detailed melodies, Sugano speaks naturally while maintaining the old style, and Uji is said to have a light flavor amidst its austere elegance.

[Kiyohiro Hayashi and Yukinori Moriya]

"Icchu-bushi" by Eijuzo (1956, Hogaku no Tomosha)" "Michitaka Takeuchi, "The Third Miyakoji Icchu and His Surroundings" (included in "Art History Research" No. 49, 1975, Art History Research Society)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

都太夫(みやこだゆう)一中（1650―1724）を始祖とする浄瑠璃(じょうるり)の流派名。現在は荻江(おぎえ)節、河東(かとう)節、宮薗(みやぞの)節とともに古曲の一つに数えられている。京都でおこり、宝永(ほうえい)・正徳(しょうとく)（1704～16）のころ栄えたが、しだいに衰退し、のち江戸に根づいて、お座敷芸として再興したもの。初世一中はもと京都本願寺派の明福寺住職で、1670年（寛文10）21歳のときに還俗(げんぞく)して須賀千朴(せんぼく)と号した。師匠は京都の都越後掾(えちごのじょう)、後の都万太夫である。一流樹立の時期は明らかでないが、都太夫一中を名のってから宝永・正徳のころ活躍し、1715～19年には江戸・市村座の芝居にも出演した。

　初世没後、実子若太夫が2世を相続。のち和泉掾(いずみのじょう)を受領し京(きょう)太夫和泉掾を名のった。ついで1734年（享保19）『夕霞浅間嶽(ゆうがすみあさまがたけ)』で大好評を博した都秀太夫千中(せんちゅう)が3世を継ぐ。4世は初世の娘婿金太夫三中(きんだゆうさんちゅう)（のち吾妻路宮古(あづまじみやこ)太夫と改名）が継いで、江戸に一中節を伝播(でんぱ)する功績を残したと伝えられるが、この3世と4世の襲名については三中が3世、千中が4世を継いだという異説もある。5世は本名千葉嘉六(かろく)（1760―1822）が継承し（1974年6月1日、日本演劇学会での竹内道敬(みちたか)の口頭発表、「5代目都一中について」によると千葉嘉六は7世で、5世は2世一中の孫ではないかとの推理がある）、河東節の三味線方山彦(やまびこ)新次郎（のちに菅野序遊(すがのじょゆう)と改名。1756―1823）と協力提携し、一中節の不振挽回(ばんかい)と復興に尽力した。

　初世序遊の実子、2世序遊（1784―1841）は、7世一中とたもとを分かって1839年（天保10）独立、一中節菅野派を樹立した。他方、2世序遊に学んだ勝田権左衛門は、一時都派に転じて一閑斎(いっかんさい)と改名し、さらに1849年（嘉永2）宇治紫文斎(うじしぶんさい)（1791―1858）を名のって一中節宇治派をたてた。こうして三派鼎立(ていりつ)の形となって都派は12世一中（常磐津文字蔵(ときわずもじぞう)）、宇治派は7世紫文(しぶん)（梅津博布之(うめずひろふじ)）を家元に、菅野派は家元制をとらず菅野会として現在に至るが、1950年（昭和25）一中節宗和会が結成されたのちに発展的解消した今日も、各派和合してそれぞれ一中節の保存育成に努めている。

　曲風については、一見素朴と思われるなかに典雅な渋い味わいがあり、上方(かみがた)の風韻もしのばれ、したがって豊後(ぶんご)系浄瑠璃やうた沢、小唄(こうた)の曲中で品のよい情調を描出するときには、一中節の旋律をしばしば用いることが作曲技法の一つの手段とされている。3派の特徴は、都ははでで節が細かく、菅野は古格を守って自然に語り、宇治は渋く上品ななかにも軽い味を備えているといわれている。

［林喜代弘・守谷幸則］

『英十三著『一中節』（1956・邦楽の友社）』▽『竹内道敬著「三代目宮古路一仲とその周辺」（『藝能史研究』49号所収・1975・藝能史研究会）』

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