Rethinking the Tradition of Kadotsuke by Examining the verses and music of Awa deko hakomawashi and Izumo Daikokujin
TOMOTSUNE Tsutomu

Kadotsuke is a folk religious performance, such as singing folk songs with playing shamisen and small drums, or playing puppet plays by two of three artists from door to door as pilgrims. ‘Kado’ means a door or gate and the name Kado-tsuke is coming from the way in which they showed their arts there. Although the Kadotsuke performances were derived from medieval religious customs, however, they were sometimes discriminated against since asking money or some reward as a compensation for their performances, especially in a modern period.
In this paper, by picking up two kinds of Kadotsuke; Awa-deko-hako-mawashi and Izumo-Daikokujin, I examined a polemical gap between its religious roots and the characteristics of popular entertainment, in other words, a gap between sacred and secular aspect, with analyzing its verses and music structure of Kadotsuke songs. Some Kadotsuke customs, including Awa-deko-hako-mawashi, puppets plays in Awa region (present Tokushima prefecture), are replicated. On the contrary, Daikokujin of Izumo (present Shmane prefecture) disappeared during 1960s. Documents or sound sources of both Kadotsuke are available even these are very few, however.
In my research, first, I argue that Kadotsuke artists stressed their religious roots through their performances and their costumes. For Awa-deko-hako-mawashi, puppets of Ebisu, a god of wealth and for fishermen, and Sanbanso puppets, three gods, are regarded as agents of gods. Village audience also has admired these puppets as well. Ebisu god is also their principal image. In the case of Daikokujin, they were singing medieval folklore tales with wearing a black hood and black coat. Black clothing was important for them because the principal image of Izumo shrine is Dai-koku, which means ‘great black.’ Their efforts for identification to the agent of gods mean to protect themselves from discrimination against them as beggars.
Next, in their verses and musical structure, both Kadotsuke arranged original verses and songs with accommodating them to popular interests, such as by maneuvering a way of singing songs stereophonically and inserting obscene words into them. In conclusion, through these devices, Kadotsuke artists have tried to make up themselves as ambiguous existence of sacred and a secular, popular entertainer.