William Vollmann - Kissing the Mask - Beauty, Understatement and Femininity in Japanese Noh Theater, with Some Thoughts on Muses (Especially Helga Testorf), Transgender Women, ... Geishas, Valkyries and Venus Figurines

ASUKA PERIOD 552–645

552Buddhism comes to Japan. De Bary et al. give the date of 538, and no doubt what little of this Chronology actually gets read will meet with a variety of disagreements.

EARLY NARA PERIOD 645–710

Late 600sMention of the itinerant female entertainers called saburoko (serving girls). They have sometimes been interpreted as proto-geishas. See entry for odoriko in 1680s.

668In Korea, the monarchy of Silla (founded in 57 B.C.) forcibly unifies the Three Kingdoms. In a trope for the highest level of beauty, Zeami will say: “In Silla at the dead of night, the sun shines brightly.”

LATE NARA PERIOD 710–794

710Foundation of Kofuku-ji Temple (which had two prior incarnations at two other sites outside of Nara). Capital established at Nara.

752Bronze Buddha (largest in the world) dedicated at Todai-ji in Nara.

755An Lu-shan Revolt in China, which leads to the execution of Lady Yang Kuei-fei (718–56). Her beauty and attachment will be expressed in Komparu Zenchiku’s Noh play “Yokihi.”

759Date of latest poem in the Manyoshu anthology.

767Foundation of Kasuga Shrine, a place since associated with the Noh play “Kasuga ryujin.”

772–846Life of the Chinese poet Bo Ju-yi, who wrote the “Song of Lasting Pain” about Lady Yang.

HEIAN PERIOD 794–1185

794Capital moved to Kyoto, then called Heian-kyo. (Some sources date the move 10 years earlier.)

806Tendai Buddhism brought from China by Saicho.

ca. 820–30Birth of Ono no Komachi.

825–80Life of Arihira no Narihira, who wrote many of the poems in The Tales of Ise .

Late 9th/early 10th centuryComposition of the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter .

ca. 905Publication of the Kokinshu anthology of poetry.

905–951Completion of The Tales of Ise by an unknown author.

935Collapse of Silla in Korea.

ca. 935Ki no Tsurayuki completes A Tosa Journal.

ca. 970–78 — ca. 1015Life of Lady Murasaki Shikibu.

ca. 970sThe Gossamer Lady (Mitchitsuna’s mother) completes The Gossamer Journal .

ca. 1000–1010Sei Shonagon completes her Pillow Book .

1008–1010Period covered by Murasaki’s diary.

ca. 1009Murasaki completes The Tale of Genji .

1030–1045Akazome Emon completes the “main portion” of A Tale of Flowering Fortunes ; an anonymous supplement is completed ca . 1300.

1114–1204Life of the poet Shunzei, whose poem of the dead wife under moss is mentioned on p. 355.

1155–1216Life of Ariie, whose poem about the sleeves dampened by a pining wind is mentioned on p. 355.

1160–1180Known life-dates of the priest Shun’e, whose “curtain of mist” metaphor is referred to several times in this book.

1162–1241Life of Teika, whose poem about the bridge over the deep gorge is mentioned on p. 375.

ca. 1120Completion of Tales of Times Now Past .

1180–1185War between the Heike (Taira) and the Genji (Minamoto), won by the latter.

KAMAKURA PERIOD 1185–1333

ca. 1210Compilation of the Shin Kokinshu anthology of poetry.

1235Fujiwara no Teika completes the anthology One Hundred People, One Poem Each , which will be illustrated by Hokusai 600 years later.

1241–1350“Late classical period” of court poetry.

ca. 1300Composition of “The Lady Who Admired Vermin,” which appeared in the anthology A Riverside Counselor’s Stories . See p. 108.

1307Lady Nijo writes her memoir, Towazugatari .

ca. 1330Completion of The Tale of the Heike , perhaps by the courtier Yukinaga. The Noh plays “Atsumori” and “Shunkan” are among those derived from this source.

ca. 1330Time of events in The Taiheiki , written not long after this.

1333Kamakura Shogunate thrown down.

ASHIKAGA (MUROMACHI) PERIOD 1333–1573

14th centuryAppearance of the samurai code of etiquette called the Ogasawara style, prescribing how to bow, how to enter a room, etc. Geisha still follow much of this code in their formalized movements. Some Noh gestures also derive from it.

1333–84Life of Kan’ami.

Mid 14th centuryActive career of Komparu Gonnokami.

1363–1443Life of Zeami.

1394Yoshimitsu begins construction of the Golden Pavilion.

1395–1432Life of Motomasa.

1400Zeami composes Kadensho .

1405–68Life of Komparu Zenchiku.

1423Zeami composes Sando .

betw. 1423 and 1430Zeami writes “Izutsu.”

1424Zeami composes “Kakyo.”

1429Zeami prohibited entry to the Sento Imperial Palace.

1434Zeami exiled to Sado Island.

1434–1516Life of Kanze Nobumitsu (Kojiro).

1467–78The Onin Wars destroy most of Kyoto.

1482Yoshimasa builds the Silver Pagoda.

1530–69Active career of Tosa Mitsumoto, to whom the Tale of Genji illustrations in the Burke Album are attributed.

MOMOYAMA PERIOD 1573–1615

1582Hideyoshi Toyotomi takes over the capital and environs.

1589Hideyoshi permits a pleasure quarter (called Yanagimachi, “Willow Town”) to be licensed in Kyoto.

1590Foundation of Edo (now called Tokyo).

EDO [TOKUGAWA] PERIOD 1615–1867

1644–94Life of Basho.

1647Actresses banned from public performances after too many samurai brawl over their favors. Other sources give the date of 1629.

1680sFirst mention of itinerant dancing girls, odoriko . To differentiate themselves from prostitutes, they begin to call themselves geiko, “arts-child.” In Kyoto this is still the word for a geisha who has graduated from the maiko stage.

ca. 1700Kabuki and woodblock arts get popular.

ca. 1700First (male) geishas appear.

1742–91Middle Tokugawa Period.

ca. 1750Kiku from Fukagawa is the first woman to call herself a geisha.

ca. 1760Female geishas establish themselves.

[1789 Beginning of Kansei Period.]

1760–1849Life of Katsushika Hokusai.

1765Kanze Motoakira publishes the Meiwa kaisei utaibon , which (at least for the Kanze School) narrows the Noh canon and restricts the choices of masks and costumes for given roles.

1780sGeishas begin to perform in ad hoc festivals called niwaka which express “the ideals of the Floating World.”

MEJI PERIOD 1869–1912

1868–70Noh performances abandoned in Japan.