How to hold your armpits

Japanese: ワキ方 - わきかた

In Nohgaku, the term refers to the performers and groups who play the roles of Waki, Wakizure, and Wakikoken in Noh. It is also a term for the shite, hayashi, and kyogen actors. Currently, there are three schools: the Hōshō, the Fukuō, and the Takayasu. Two schools have been abolished: the Shindō (abolished in the Meiji period) and the Shuntō (abolished in the Taisho period). The Hōshō is called Wakibōshō to distinguish it from the shite Hōshō, and is also called Shimogakari Hōshō because it is a branch of the Shuntō that was attached to the Konparu troupe. During the time of Kan'ami and Zeami, the roles of shite and waki were undifferentiated, and the "waki no tamate" mentioned in the Fushikaden meant what is known as today's waki and shitezure, and literally meant a supporting role, as opposed to the "master carpenter's tamate" (what is known as today's shite). However, from the mid-Muromachi period, waki gradually established their own techniques, and the division of labor became a system.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

能楽において，能のワキ，ワキヅレ，ワキ後見の各役を担当する演者とその集団。シテ方，囃子方，狂言方に対しての呼称。現在，宝生流，福王流，高安（たかやす）流の3流がある。廃絶した流派に進藤流(明治期に廃絶)，春藤流(大正期に廃絶)の2流があった。宝生流は，シテ方宝生流と区別して脇宝生（わきぼうしよう）と称し，また金春（こんぱる）座付であった春藤流の分れなので下掛（しもがかり）宝生流とも称される。観阿弥･世阿弥時代には，シテ方とワキ方とが未分化で，《風姿花伝（ふうしかでん）》にいう〈脇の為手（して）〉とは現在のワキやシテヅレのことを意味し，〈棟梁の為手〉(現今のシテのこと)に対し文字どおり脇役の意だったが，室町中ごろからしだいにワキ独自の技法を確立し，分業制になった。

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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