Old man - Okina

A Noh piece. It is the oldest and most sacred piece in Noh, and is performed on celebratory occasions. It is treated as a separate piece in Noh, and its structure is different from other Noh pieces, and is similar to that of Kagura. Sometimes the term Okina includes Chichi no Jo, Enmei Kaja, Okina, and Sanbaso, but generally it refers to the Okina piece alone. In modern Noh, the Okina piece begins with a dialogue between the Okina performer and the Jiutai, who sing "Toto tarari..." and "Let us live for a thousand years, and let us live a thousand years, celebrating the cranes and turtles, and letting our hearts be content," followed by the Senzai dance. While Chitose is dancing, the Okina puts on a mask, and when Chitose's dance is over, the Okina actor stands up, sings a sacred song, and performs a celebratory dance. When the dance is over, the Okina takes off his mask and leaves the stage, which is called the Okina's return. This is followed by the dances of the "Momi no Dan" and "Bell no Dan" from "Sanbaso." In the Kanze and Hosho schools, the Shite actor plays Chitose, and the Kyogen actor plays the Menbako carrier, but in the Konparu, Kongo, and Kita schools, the Kyogen actor plays Chitose and also plays the Menbako carrier. The series of dances including the Chitose dance are called "Okina." The name Chitose dates back to the Muromachi period, and before that it was called Tsuyuharai, and it seems that it was performed by young boys in the old days. Okina appeared in the Lotus Sutra, Five Parts and Nine Volumes, written in 1126, and is an ancient text. In the Lotus Sutra, Okina is written as Chisou, Sanban, and Chisou is assigned to Shaka, Okina to Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Sanban to Maitreya, giving it a Buddhist interpretation. Enmei Kanja first appeared in records from the mid-Kamakura period, and is described as the son of Chijo. Chijo and Enmei Kanja are only awarded in special cases today. In Zeami's "Fushikaden," the Okina is called Inazumi no Okina and Sanbaso is called Yotsugi no Okina (also called Yonatsumi no Okina), suggesting the idea that they are gods of abundant grain. In later times, Okina was ascribed to various gods. There are various theories about the origin of Okina, including that it originated from ancient agricultural ceremonies, that it originated from the Inanomi Okina of the Daijoe ceremony, that it originated from Buddhist shamans, and that it originated from Kagura. There are various types of Okina in folk performing arts. Some are reminiscent of the original form of the Okina in Noh, while others are more deformed. The Okina of the Mikawa (Aichi Prefecture) Flower Festival tells his story in a humorous way, and the content is similar to Sanbaso. Since the Okina is a congratulatory song, it was later incorporated into Katobushi, Jiuta, Nagauta, puppet shows, etc., and was danced on auspicious occasions.

The Okina mask is a distinctive feature among Japanese masks, painted white, with a cut chin, hollowed-out eyes, a smiling face, and a healthy, well-fleshed out appearance. The Sanbaso mask is the same style as the Okina, but is black and less elegant than the Okina. The Chichibu mask is the same style as the Okina, but has more flesh and upturned eyes, giving it a sense of strength. The Enmei Kanja mask has the face of a smiling young boy, and does not have a cut chin. It is said that the cut chin was used to make a congratulatory speech. The cut chin style is found in the Bugaku mask Saisourou, but this one is not smiling, but rather has an expression of old age. Additionally, the Jomen mask in Noh has hair transplanted to the head, and most of the masks have a neutral expression and are not smiling. It is distinctive that a Kami mask has a smiling expression.

As a general term, it is a word that refers to an elderly male, as opposed to an elderly woman, called "ouna," and is used as a friendly term for elderly people, a word that elderly people use to refer to themselves humbly, and also as a respectful title for elderly people.

[Kyoko Goto]

"A Study of the Origins of Nohgaku" by Nose Tomotsugu (First edition 1938/Reprint 1979, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Okina and Others" by Honda Yasuji (1958, Meizendo)" ▽ "The Origins of Nohgaku" by Goto Yoshiki (1975, Mokujisha)" ▽ "The Origins of Nohgaku Continued" by Goto Yoshiki (1981, Mokujisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

能の曲目。能の曲のなかで成立がもっとも古く、かつ神聖視されている曲で、祝いの場で演じられる。能では別曲扱いをされ、構成など能の他の曲と違っており、神楽(かぐら)の構成と似たところがある。父尉(ちちのじょう)、延命冠者(えんめいかじゃ)、翁、三番叟(さんばそう)を含めて翁ということもあるが、一般には翁の曲だけをいう。現在の能の『翁』は、最初に翁を演ずる者と地謡(じうたい)とが掛け合いで「とうとうたらり……」という謡に「ところ千代までおはしませ、われらも千秋さむらおう、鶴(つる)と亀(かめ)との祝にて幸ひ心にまかせたり」という今様四句神歌を交えて謡い、続いて千歳(せんざい)の舞になる。千歳が舞っている間に、翁は仮面をつけ、千歳の舞が終わると、翁役の者が立ち上がり、神歌を謡い、めでたい舞を舞う。舞が終わると翁は面をとり退場するが、それを翁帰り(おきながえり)という。続いて『三番叟』の「揉(もみ)の段」「鈴の段」の舞が始まる。観世(かんぜ)、宝生(ほうしょう)流では千歳をシテ方が勤め、面箱(めんばこ)持ちを狂言方が勤めるが、金春(こんぱる)、金剛(こんごう)、喜多(きた)流では狂言方が千歳を勤め、面箱持ちを兼ねる。この千歳舞を含めた一連の舞を『翁』とよんでいる。千歳の名称は室町時代からで、それ以前は露払いとよび、古くは稚児(ちご)が演じていたようである。翁は大治(だいじ)元年（1126）の『法華(ほっけ)五部九巻書』にすでに出ており、その成立は古い。『法華五部九巻書』では父叟、翁、三番と記されており、父叟を釈迦(しゃか)、翁を文珠菩薩(もんじゅぼさつ)、三番を弥勒(みろく)にあてており、仏教的解釈がなされている。延命冠者は、鎌倉中期の記録に初めて出てくるが、父尉の子ということになっている。父尉、延命冠者は今日特別な場合のみに行われる。世阿弥(ぜあみ)の『風姿花伝(ふうしかでん)』には翁を稲積(いなづみ)の翁、三番叟を世継(よつぎ)翁（よなつみの翁とも）といったとあり、五穀豊饒(ほうじょう)の神という考えがみえる。後世、翁はいろいろな神にあてられた。翁の発生については、古代の農耕行事に発したという説、大嘗会(だいじょうえ)の稲実(いなのみ)の翁に発したという説、仏教の呪師(じゅし)に発したという説、神楽に発したという説などいろいろある。民俗芸能には各種の翁がある。能の『翁』の原形を思わせるもの、崩れをなすものなどである。三河（愛知県）の花祭の翁は自分の履歴を滑稽(こっけい)に語り、内容が三番叟に近い。翁は祝言曲なので、後世、河東節(かとうぶし)、地歌、長唄(ながうた)、人形劇などにも取り入れられ、めでたいときに舞われた。

　翁面は日本の仮面のなかで特色ある存在であり、色を白色に塗り、顎(あご)が切顎(きりあご)になっており、目をへの字型にくりぬき、笑いをたたえ、肉づきのよい、健康な福相をたたえた面である。三番叟面も翁と同型だが、黒色で、翁に比べると品格がない。父尉面も翁と同型だが、肉色が多く、目はつり上っており、強さを感ずる。延命冠者面は笑いを浮かべた少年の顔で、切顎でない。切顎の理由は寿詞を述べるためといわれている。切顎形式は舞楽面の採桑老(さいそうろう)にあるが、これは笑ってはおらず老衰の表情である。また、能の尉面(じょうめん)は頭部に植毛があり、中間表情をとっている面がほとんどで笑ってはいない。神の面が笑いの表情をとっているというのは特徴的である。

　なお、一般用語としては、老女を示す嫗(おうな)に対して男性の老人を示す語で、老人を親しみ呼ぶ語、老人が自己をへりくだっていう語、また老人の敬称としても用いられる。

［後藤　淑］

『能勢朝次著『能楽源流考』（初版・1938／再版・1979・岩波書店）』▽『本田安次著『翁そのほか』（1958・明善堂）』▽『後藤淑著『能楽の起源』（1975・木耳社）』▽『後藤淑著『続能楽の起源』（1981・木耳社）』

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