Thread spinning - Itomawashi

Japanese: 糸回し - いとまわし

A special shamisen ensemble style. It was an entertainment and recreational style practiced especially by the jiuta (Chinese song) kengyo-hoshi (priests of the Jiuta) of Kyoto and Osaka. Each person was responsible for a particular string of the shamisen, playing only the string they were responsible for and passing the other strings on to others, with one or several people playing each string. When jiuta (Chinese song) ensembles developed as instrumental music in the early 19th century and various ensemble styles became popular, this style was born as entertainment for the hoshi, and was popular until the middle of the Meiji period, but is rarely practiced today. [Mitani Yoko]

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

三味線の特殊な合奏法。特に京･大坂の地歌（じうた）の検校法師たちが行った娯楽的，遊戯的演奏法。各人が三味線の各絃をそれぞれ受け持ち，担当の絃だけを弾いて他の絃は他の人に回す方法で，各絃を1人または数人で受け持った。19世紀初頭から地歌手事（てごと）物が器楽的発達を遂げ，種々の合奏法が盛んになったとき，法師たちの娯楽として誕生し，明治の中ごろまでは盛んであったが，現在はほとんど行われない。【三谷陽子】

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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