Eisa (Okinawan:エイサー,romanized: Eisā / Eisaa) is afolk dance originating fromOkinawa Island inRyukyu Islands. It is derived from theBun / Usjooroo (Okinawan:ブン / ウソーロー / 盆)[1] dance that is performed by young people of each community duringBun / Usjooroo to honor the spirits of their ancestors. It underwent drastic changes in the 20th century and is today seen as a vital part of Okinawan culture.
ModernEisa is danced by 20 to 30 young men or women, mainly in doubled lines or circles to the accompaniment of singing, chanting, and drumming by the dancers as well as by folk songs played on thesanshin. Three types ofdrums are used in various combinations, depending upon regional style: theōdaiko (大太鼓), a large barrel drum; theshimedaiko (締太鼓), a medium-sized drum similar to ones used inNoh theatre; and thepaarankuu (Okinawan:パーランクー), a small hand drum similar to ones used in Buddhist ceremony. The dancers also sometimes play small hand gongs andyotsutake castanets.Eisa dancers wear various costumes, usually according to local tradition and gender of the dancer; modern costumes are often brightly colored and feature a characteristic, colorful knotted turban. Special vests, leggings, and shoes are also popular.
The origin ofEisa is unclear, like for many other folk performing arts.Iha Fuyū argued that the name ofEisa was related towesa omoro (Okinawan:ゑさおもろ), a phrase appearing in Volume 14 of theOmoro Sōshi (16th–17th centuries). This theory is no longer supported. It is more likely that the name derived from an exclamation used in the original song ofEisa, theMamauya Ninbuchi (Okinawan:継親念仏). The standardization of the written form was relatively new.Meiji era newspaper articles used various forms includingyensaa (イェンサー),yaisaa (ヤイサー), andensaa (エンサー).[2]
The core ofEisa consists ofnembutsu songs. TheRyūkyū-koku yuraiki (1713) attributes the introduction ofnembutsu toTaichū (1552–1639), aJōdo sect monk fromMutsu Province. According to the record, he translated Buddhist teaching into the vernacular speech and taught it to the people ofNaha during the reign ofShō Nei. Other sources confirm that Taichū stayed in the capital region for three years in the early 1600s and converted the king and other high-ranking officials.[3] Some researchers speculate that he introducedodori nembutsu or dancing nembutsu to Naha.[2] However, Taichū's teaching did not prevail; it was barely carried on by his followers in Kakinohana, Naha.[4]
Another important factor related to the origin ofEisa isChondaraa (チョンダラー), a group of puppeteers. TheRyūkyū-koku yuraiki records two theories regarding the etymology ofChondaraa. One is that it indicates their origin,Kyoto. The other is that its founder was named Kyō (no) Kotarō (京小太郎). The fact that their origin had been obscured by the early 18th century suggests that they came frommainland Japan a long time ago. Based on modern-day Shuri Kubagawa-chō (part of the capital Shuri), they performed puppet plays, chantedBanzei (manzai) on celebratory occasions and sang nembutsu songs as a funeral service. For these reasons, they were also calledNinbuchaa (nembutsu prayer) orYanzayaa (banzei chanter). It is uncertain if theChondaraa performednembutsu from the very beginning or learned later from a different group.[5] Unlike Taichū's followers, they wandered aroundOkinawa Island.[4]
The spread ofnembutsu from mainland Japan was not limited to Okinawa. In theYaeyama Islands, Bon dance is usually calledAngama and is accompanied withnembutsu songs. TheAmami Islands also havenembutsu songs, but at least some of them may belong to a tradition different from Okinawa'sChondaraa.[5] Note that these traditions are not identified withEisa.Eisa is considered specific to theOkinawa Islands.[2]
It is not clear whennembutsu songs spread to central Okinawa, which later played a central role in transformingEisa. According to an oral tradition,Eisa was introduced to Kamiyama,Ginowan in the Meiji period, when a wealthy farmer invited performers from Shuri and made them teach Bon dance to young villagers. The community of Ganeko, Ginowan has a similar oral history.[6] It appears thatEisa spread to northern Okinawa from the late Meiji period to the earlyShōwa period. Several communities in northern Okinawa believe thatEisa was introduced from Sesoko,Motobu, a supplying center of seasonal workers.[2]
Eisa was originally performed at the Bon Festival. It is not known when it extended to other occasions. Newspaper articles confirm thatEisa, together with other folk performing arts, had been performed as an attraction at various government-sponsored exhibitions in central Okinawa already in 1900s.[2]
Eisa underwent drastic changes in post-World War II Okinawa. In 1956, then under U.S. occupation, the firstZentō Eisa Contest was held in Koza (part of the modern-dayOkinawa City). It was originally an effort to recover from the great damage to the base-dependent commercial city caused by the "Off Limits" ordinance by the U.S. military. As a contest, participating groups were judged by screening criteria such as costumes, formation, technique, the number of performers, and innovativeness. Folklorist Kumada Susumu noted values imposed by the criteria. They clearly emphasized group dynamics, although earlier groups were not necessarily large. Contrary to today's perception ofEisa as Okinawa's tradition, they did encourage the creative nature ofEisa. In fact it was not uncommon to wear Western clothing during the performance.[2]
Another major event, the "YouthFurusato Eisa Festival," began in Naha in 1964, originally under the name of "All OkinawaSeinen Eisa Contest." At first, both events were competitive. In 1975, the latter abolished the contest and changed itself into a non-competitive festival, which was followed by the former in 1977. One reason behind the change was that some youth associations started showing their dissatisfaction at values imposed by the contests.Eisa had changed itself into spectacular group dynamics that was to fascinate the audience. To give the performance more punch, participating groups adopted an increasingly large number of drums. The adoption of luxurious uniforms was another effort to win the contest.[2]
In modern Okinawa,Eisa has gradually changed itself into popular entertainment by incorporating non-Buddhist folk songs and by adding visually appealing choreography although theEisa dance still began withnembutsu songs such asMamauya Ninbuchi,Chōja nu Nagari (長者の流れ), andYamabushi (山伏). It has also developed regional variants. Yukio Kobayashi, a researcher of Okinawan folk songs, identifies four forms ofEisa:[2]
Kobayashi analyzes modern Eisa as a result of the effort by each community's newly organized youth associations, an influence from sophisticated theatrical performance of Naha, and a social movement of modernization that forced young people to turn from "sexually explicit" gatherings to the "healthy" dance.[2]
The 1980s saw the beginning of a new style ofEisa, called "creativeEisa" or "club teamEisa," which holds many distinctions from traditional forms ofEisa. Whereas traditionallyEisa groups consist of people from a village or community due to the sacredness of the activity in honoring the ancestors of a specific community, creativeEisa teams are usually independent of local communities, and admit anyone regardless of their heritage. CreativeEisa is characterized largely by its song selection, with groups usually choosing to dance to newer songs, rather than the traditional standards. Hidekatsu, a Taketomi-born Ryukyu music artist, has become one of the most popular artists that creativeEisa groups dance to. His hit song,Mirukumunari, has become one of the most frequently performed creativeEisa dances. Hidekatsu is unique in that his songs are almost entirely sung in theRyukyuan languages, which is a marked departure from most modern day Ryukyu pop singers, who sing primarily in Japanese, making Hidekatsu's music a vital link for young modern Ryukyuans to the languages of their ancestors, who otherwise receive little exposure to the languages. All of the Ryukyu languages are endangered due to over a century of social and political prejudice against the Ryukyu languages by the Japanese government.
Some examples of creativeEisa clubs includeRyukyukoku Matsuri Daiko andChinagu Eisa (based inHawaiʻi).Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko, formed in 1982, was one of the first creativeEisa clubs, and has since expanded to form chapters in mainland Japan, Hawaiʻi, the mainland United States, and other locations with Okinawan populations.[7] Whereas traditionally men would danceEisa utilizing drums, while women would dance drumless, creativeEisa features many women who choose to dance with drums.
In addition to having the freedom of dancing to new songs, creativeEisa groups often create their own choreographies, typically using elements of traditionalEisa andkarate.
Since its formation, creativeEisa has become hugely popular in Okinawa, and has also been exported to the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands,Yoron Island (1992)[2]Okinoerabu Island (1993),[6]Kagoshima Prefecture, and to the Kantō and Kansai regions, where people of Okinawan descent concentrated.[8] CreativeEisa has also been exported internationally to virtually anywhere with sizeable Okinawan populations, such as Hawaiʻi, the continental United States, and South America.
For many youngRyukyuans in the 21st century, creativeEisa has become an integral part of their cultural identity, providing a vital link between tradition and modern creativity.
One consequence of the rise of creativeEisa is a crisis in authenticity. In response, youth associations increasingly see their community-basedEisa as Okinawan tradition although the perceived tradition is a result of "growing pains" up to 1970s.[2]
