Mibu Kyogen

The day started with a train ride into Kyoto. Hankyu line this time, which makes more local stops and doesn't go directly to Kyoto Station. Beyond that it's basically the same and public transportation in Japan is very efficient (though the cost adds up). Kristine and I exited at our station, then navigated to Mibudera Temple where we met a Japanese classmate and were to see Nenbutsu kyogen aka mibu kyogen, a form of japanese theater originating over 700 years ago at this same temple. I didn't know anything about it, and it was only after looking on the internet for more information that I discovered mibu kyogen was different from other kyogen performances. Other kyogen performances involve dialogue, but this was silent pantomime. The performers enter the stage from the left, wearing ornate wooden masks that hide all facial expressions and give then an aura of caricature. Musical accompaniment is in the form of a flute, drums, and a gong. Performers act out the story in exaggerated movements, dance, pauses, and move very gracefully.

It was very interesting to watch, and obviously a tradition as there were many western and Japanese tourists, along with locals. Each story went on for maybe 50minutes, and we stayed for 3 of them, as interesting as it was to experience, it wasn't something that we really wanted to watch for long periods of time. On our way out, a pigeon flew from a nearby roof and landed on my arm, I was shocked, but I'll take it to mean good luck.

After kyogen, I walked south to Kyoto station where I stopped at Bic Camera and purchased an electronic dictionary. I had done my research and found the one I wanted (Canon Wordtank G90). The Jap-English dictionaries, which there are a lot of them in Japan, are mostly designed for Japanese studying English, or Japanese studying Chinese, or Japanese studying Japanese (there are a LOT of kanji with many meanings). So Jap-English dictionaries are mostly designed for Japanese, some of them have english settings, as does mine, but still if you look up a word in english, like 'hair', you're given a definition written in japanese, which can then lead to having to look up the pronunciation of the kanji for hair, if you can even find which kanji in the definition represents hair. So having a dictionary does not mean you can always communicate, but it's a great resource, especially because I can draw unknown kanji to look them up.