Dog King - Inuou

Japanese: 犬王 - いぬおう

?-1413 (Oei 20)
A Noh actor of the Omi Sarugaku Hiei-za. His posthumous name was Doamidabutsu (Doa, Doami, originally Inuami). He was active from before 1373 (Bunchu 2/Oan 6), and there are records of his activities in 1382 (Kōwa 2/Eitoku 2) and 1396 (Oei 3). He was a junior to Kan'ami of Yamato Sarugaku, but a senior to Zeami. According to Zeami, he had a graceful and sentimental style of performance, was a specialist in the dance of the heavenly maiden, and performed only high-class Noh suitable for the nobility. It seems that this style of performance was appreciated by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who supported Inu'o more than Zeami from around 1401.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

？‐1413(応永20)
近江猿楽比叡座の能役者。法名道阿弥陀仏(道阿，道阿弥。初め犬阿弥)。1373年(文中2∥応安6)以前から活動し，82年(弘和2∥永徳2)，96年(応永3)の活動記録もある。大和猿楽の観阿弥よりは後輩，世阿弥よりは先輩だった。世阿弥の言によれば，情趣豊かな優美な芸風で，天女ノ舞を得意とし，貴人向きの高級な能ばかりを演じたという。そうした芸風が将軍足利義満に評価されたようで，1401年ころからの義満は世阿弥以上に犬王を後援していた。

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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