INTRODUCTORY SONGS OF THE “DAIKOKU-MAI.�

“In the morning of New Year’s day, facing the lucky direction of the compass, Daikoku-ten smiles as benignly as the fukujus� (Adonis amuraisis.)

Like the rising sun flows a spring of toso saké and crysanthemum saké. The kamuro crysanthemum emits the odour of youthful fragrance. Various species of oranges, including that of the ukon, and also the cherry-tree of sakon are planted in the gardens and covered with a purple hood. Look at the Daijin-mai dance! Look at the Daijin-mai dance.

On the head of the j�ro are hair-pins with the figures of storks which live a thousand years, and others having the flowers of the plum and cherry carved upon them. The spectacle of the fairy-like kamuro promenading may well be compared to the flowers which are blooming in advance of the season. Who are the happy guests who come to this paradise at the beginning of the year? Look a the Daijin-mai dance! Look at the Daijin-mai dance.�

Daikokuten.

After having sung these introductory songs, the names of the most popular yūjo were read out in a kind of doggerel verse. When performing, the Daijin-mai dancers wore some of the clothes given to them by their patrons or yūjo (some of these clothes were quite costly, being made of crêpe) and held a fan in their hand. They wore a hood known as Daikoku-dzukin, and the ceremonial kamishimo. The presenting of fine clothes to these people by yūjo was for the purpose of buying their goodwill. The “Kiyū Sh�ran� (嬉�笑覽 = “Laughing-Pleasant view of Games and Pastimes�) remarks at such people as Hidenji, Shinokasho, K�gai, and others who imitated the style of the god Daikokuten, put on a mask and hood, and at the beginning of the New Year went around in every part of the city singing new songs: they were also called “Daikoku-mai.� It appears that the Daikoku-mai originated in the Sagi-ch� (ceremony observed on the 15th day of first month (o.s.) which consisted in burning, near the house, the pine, bamboo, shimé, etc. used as New Year’s decorations). Reference is made in the “Seken Muna-sany�� (世間胸算用) to the effect that in the neighbourhood of a certain person lived a man whose profession appears (though it was not, judging from the property he possessed) to have been a kind of public entertainer. He pawned the eboshi (cap worn by nobles) shitatare (long silk robe) and a long sword at the close of the year in consequence of having his profession changed to that of a daikoku-mai dancer who required only a cheap mask and a hammer made of paper. In the preface of the Ebisu-Kyoku-Shū (夷曲集) it is remarked that the abilities of the Daikoku are—firstly, he sits on bags of rice, secondly he smiles benignly, and thirdly he puts all the luck and wealth in the bag he carries. * * * The “Gaen Suiky�-shū� (雅筵醉狂集) also says that compared with the picture of the Daikoku with his fan, and sitting on five bags of rice, the fan is rather novel contrary to the conventional five bags of rice. Next, the “Kenjo Shinsh�� (賢女心粧) referring to the description of the slums of Kwato (Ky�to) says that the living of a family is made by the husband getting money by the favour of Awashima Dai-My�jin, and the wife by wearing the mask of O Fuku (O-Kame). * * * In Yedo, occasionally beggars come round imitating the style of Ebisu and Daikoku, but the times of their visits are not fixed except in the Yoshiwara.

From these fragmentary accounts it would seem that the Daikoku-mai was a kind of dance which degenerated until it was performed by beggars, wearing the Daikoku hood like the manzai, in front of every house. For a long time the Yoshiwara was free from their incursions, but the custom was resuscitated during the Kei-� era (1865–1867) though in an altered form as far as their personal appearance was concerned. The latter day dancers of the Daikoku-mai were attired, like the Dai-kagura men in black clothes with crests upon them, and white hakata-obi: the skirts of their kimono were lifted up (shiri-hashi-ori nite) and fastened by tucking the ends into their obi. They even powdered their faces, imitated the voices of well-known actors, and did other similar things. Though all these men were of the eta class there were many handsome fellows among them and these were great favourites with the Yoshiwara women. A story is told of the daughter of a tea-house keeper at Tamachi called Minoya who eloped with one of these eta class dancers. At that time eta (leather dressers) were greatly despised in Japan, and under serious legal disabilities which prevented them from having any intercourse with other people, so the matter was at length brought before a Court of Justice and eventually this led to their being expelled from the Yoshiwara altogether.

There are now very few people—even in the Yoshiwara—who know much about these latter day daikoku-mai dancers.

Dote-bushi no koto oyobi Hayari-uta.
[Dote-bushi (songs) and popular songs.]