Hanamichi

File:Enō Ichikawa as Benkei.jpg

's signature disappearing act on the

File:National Theatre of Japan - Hanamichi 2018 10 21.JPG

The at National Theatre of Japan

The is an extra stage section used in Japanese kabuki theater. It is a long, raised platform, running left of centre to the stage through the audience, connecting to the main stage.

The is typically used for character entrances and exits, though is also used for asides and scenes that do not take place in the location as scenes on the main stage; the also typically features a trapdoor just before the runway meets the stage, placed to be visible to everyone in the audience, which is commonly used for character entrances. Some kabuki plays also require the use of two , running along the left and right of the audience.

History

The was first used in 1668 in the , in the form of a simple wooden plank that reached from the centre of the stage to the middle of the theatre. It was not used in performances, but allowed actors to step into the audience after a performance to receive flowers, with the word literally meaning "flower path."

The modern style of , sometimes called (, "main flower path"), was first conceived and standardized in 1740. The standard size ranges from – long and – wide. Some theatres have since begun to make use of a secondary on the right side of the audience, known as (, "copied flower path") which is one-third to half the width of the on the left.

Usages

File:Odori Keiyō Edo-e no sakae by Toyokuni III.jpg

The July 1858 production of at the theatre, with the shown on the left

Though rarely used for the main action of a play, much of the more dramatic or famous character moments occur during entrances or exits along the . Many particularly dramatic actions take place seven-tenths of the way down the (three-tenths away from the stage), at a spot known in Japanese as (lit., "seven-three"). It is here that exiting characters may say their final words, and entering characters may address the audience or the characters on stage. Since the runs through the audience, it allows for a closer experience for the spectator than might normally be allowed by other forms of traditional theater.

Sumo

In sumo, the path to the is also known as .

See also

• Kabuki
• Catwalk

References

• Hanamichi (2001). Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System (JAANUS). Accessed 30 July 2005.