Kocho (Butterflies) (胡蝶)

Kocho (Butterflies)
Kocho (Butterflies) is a butterfly in Ko (barbarian) Country.

Bugaku (traditional Japanese court music accompanied by dancing) that used Kocho (Butterflies) as a subject. To be described in this item.

Kabuki Buyo; Kabuki Dance (nagauta [long epic song with shamisen accompaniment]) that used Bugaku as a subject. It is performed in Kagamijishi (Lions in a mirror) and Renjishi (a string of lions). Refer to Kocho (Kabuki) section.

Program of Noh. The third program, Seitensen mono. Refer to Kocho (Noh).

A number of Naniwa kagura-dance. It is also called the Azuma.

A chapter name from the 54 chapters of "the Tale of Genji." Refer to Kocho (the Tale of Genji).

kocho no mai (a dance of butterfly) is a special weapon that appeared in Sakura Taisen (a game).

Kocho is a bugaku (traditional Japanese court music accompanied by dancing) using butterflies in Ko (barbarian) Country as a subject. It is also called the Kocho raku (a dance of butterfly) or Kocho no mai (a dance of butterfly).

It belongs to Komagaku music (the music form arranged in the Heian period mainly based on the Bohai music and sankangaku [the music of three old Korean countries; Silla, Peakche, and Koguryo], not based on the Komagaku music, one of sankangaku, [Goguryeo folk lore music]) and Uhomai Dance; it was not originated in Bokkai (country) or Korean Peninsula, and it was created in Japan based on the form of Komagaku music. It was created as Tsugaimai Dance for Karyobin, and the form or costume is based on Karyobin.

The scale of music is Koma-ichikotsucho (the same scale as hirajoshi scale [one of the most basic scales of Japanese sokyoku koto music: literally, "tranquil tuning"] in Togaku music). It was composed by FUJIWARA no Tadafusa, and choreographed by Imperial Prince Atsumi.

It was created as Dobu (Warawamai Dance), and four boys dance as a basic rule. Miko (a shrine maiden) or girls may dance in a shrine.

Costume, Make up

They wear long sha (silk gauze) ho (outer robe, vestment) in greenish earth color with butterfly patterns on top of white hiraginu (plain silk) hakama (pleated and divided skirt made in fine stripes) with a yamabuki (bright yellow) branch in their hand. They put on shigai (shoes made of silk threads), and wear cowhide or Japanese paper wings on which red or greenish blue butterfly wings were described on top of whitewash base and a bib on their chest and back. They wear hokan (crown) (in gagaku [ancient Japanese court dance and music]), it refers to a metal band for hair with a mountain-like ornament on the front and two sword-like ornaments on each side of the band), with arabesque, plated with gold, guilt on their head, and clip two yamabuki (bright yellow) branches, and lower ring of their hair was often set in mizura, tsunogami style. The make-up style was heavy Shironuri (white makeup) make-up style, and it was same as that for children, and it could be no make-up or natural make-up.

According to 'Kocho' from the Tale of Genji, children wearing such costumes row a boat where a feast was held.

[Original Japanese]