Yatsuhashi Kengyo

Japanese: 八橋検校 - やつはしけんぎょう

Year of death: 13 July 1685 (Jiyo 2nd year 6th 12th)
Year of birth: Keicho 19 (1614)
A koto musician from the early Edo period. The founder of early modern koto music. There are various theories about his birth year. His first name was Johide. In the middle of the Kan'ei period (1624-1644), he became a zato (a monk of a zato), in 1636 he became a Yamaju Koto (a name derived from the fact that his mother was supported by a certain Yamaju, a retainer of Hatakeyama Miyama), and on November 11, 16 he became a Kaminaga Kengyo Jodan. He changed his surname to Yatsuhashi before 1657. For a time (until 1663), he was supported by the Naito family of Iwakidaira Domain (Fukushima Prefecture) with a stipend for five people. From 1662 to 1663, he performed koto and shamisen at the residence of Matsudaira Naonori in Edo, but the following year he left his support from the Taira Domain, which may have been the opportunity for him to move to Kyoto. In 1685 he was a member of the Rokuro (a member of the Rokuro) and lived in Karasuma Nishiiri, Aya-koji, Kyoto. He was active as a shamisen player in Osaka at the beginning of the Kan'ei era. Perhaps he was forced to make some kind of change of heart due to his rival Kaga Miyako (later known as Yanagawa Kengyo), who was also active as a shamisen player in Osaka at the same time. Soon after, he went to Edo and studied the Tsukushigoto under Norimichi. During the Keian era (1648-1652), he composed a new song for accompaniment to the koto (koto group song) with a tuning that included semitones different from the Tsukushigoto, based on lyrics arranged by feudal lord Naito Futora. This marked the birth of early modern koto music. Koto group songs are compositions with lyrics that combine an average of six short songs, and have extremely strict formality, becoming the standard for the training of blind people as specialists thereafter. He composed 13 koto group songs, including "Nabubuki," which are known as the "Yatsuhashi 13 Groups." Of these, "Shiki no Kyoku," "Ogi no Kyoku," and "Kumo no Kyoku" are considered important and are known as the "Oku no Sankyoku." In addition, he composed several songs to accompany the koto. He reorganized the instrumental pieces "Sugagaki" and "Rinzetsu" to create the current "Rokudan no Cho" and "Ran." His disciple was Ikuta Kengyo. <References> Hirano Kenji, "Shamisen to Koto no Kumiuta" Tanigakiuchi Kazuko Yato Uemonshichi Sadayuki 3 (1686) - 20th March 1703 One of the Ako Roshi (47 Ronin of Ako) of the early Edo period. Son of Nagasuke, a middle-class servant of the Ako domain with a stipend of 20 koku and 5 people. After his father's death, he is said to have been filial to his mother. From December 14th to the early morning of the 15th of Genroku 1702, he attacked the Kira residence with other comrades, killed Kira Yoshinaka, and wiped out the disgrace of his master, Asano Naganori. After the incident, he was placed in the care of Mizuno Tadayuki's residence along with eight others, including Kanzaki Yogoro, and the following year he was ordered by the shogunate to commit seppuku. He was 18 years old, the second youngest of the 47 Ronin after Oishi Kazura. He is buried at Sengaku-ji Temple in Takanawa, Tokyo.

(Kei Yoshizawa)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：貞享2.6.12(1685.7.13)
生年：慶長19(1614)
江戸前期の箏曲家。近世箏曲の始祖。生年には諸説ある。初名城秀。寛永(1624～44)の半ばに座頭,寛永13(1636)年山住勾当(母が畠山箕山の家来の山住某に扶持されていたことにちなむ),16年11月11日上永検校城談となる。明暦3(1657)年以前に八橋と改姓。一時(寛文3年まで)磐城平藩(福島県)内藤家から5人扶持を給せられる。寛文2(1662)年から3年ごろには,江戸の松平直矩邸で箏や三味線の演奏を行っているが,翌年平藩の扶持を離れたのを契機に,京都に移住したものか。貞享2(1685)年には六老の地位にあって京都綾小路烏丸西入ルに住んだ。寛永のはじめごろ,大坂で三弦家として活躍。同じ時期に大坂で三弦家として活躍したライバルの加賀都(のち柳川検校)に対して,何らかの転向を余儀なくされたのであろうか。その後間もなく江戸に出て法水から筑紫箏を学ぶ。慶安年中(1648～52)に,藩主の内藤風虎の編詞に基づいて,筑紫箏とは異なる半音を含む調弦による新しい箏伴奏歌曲(箏組歌)を創作。ここに近世箏曲が誕生することになる。箏組歌は,小編歌謡を平均6歌ずつ組み合わせて歌詞とした楽曲で,きわめて厳格な形式性を持ち,その後の盲人の専門家としての修業の規範となった。「八橋十三組」と称される「菜蕗」以下13曲の箏組歌を作曲。そのうちの「四季の曲」「扇の曲」「雲井の曲」は「奥の三曲」といって重視される。そのほか,箏伴奏歌曲数曲を作曲。器楽曲の「すががき」「りんぜつ」を改編して現行の「六段の調」「乱」などを成立させた。孫弟子に生田検校がいる。<参考文献>平野健次『三味線と箏の組歌』谷垣内和子矢頭右衛門七やとう・えもしち貞亨3(1686)～元禄16.2.4(1703.3.20)江戸前期の赤穂浪士(赤穂四十七士)のひとり。赤穂藩中小姓・20石5人扶持長助の子。父亡きあと母に孝養をつくしたという。元禄15(1702)年12月14日から15日早暁にかけて他の同志とともに吉良邸に討入り,吉良義央を討って主君浅野長矩の恥辱をそそいだ。事件後神崎与五郎ら8人とともに水野忠之邸預けとなり,翌年幕命により切腹。四十七士のうちでは,大石主税に次いで若い18歳であった。墓は東京高輪の泉岳寺。

(吉沢敬)

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