Toyoaki Shamisen Members Given Professional Name, Umeshi, Chitose, & Toho

Taura Kiku (L), Aoki Kioto (C), and Aoki Miyumi receive each professional name, Umeshi, Chitose, and Toho, respectively from the grandmaster of the Toyoakimoto in Tokyo. (Photo Credit: AIRMW)

   “The Ohirome Certification Recital” was held to celebrate three Toyoaki Shamisen members, who had received Toyoaki professional name from the Toyoakimoto’s grandmaster in Tokyo, on April 21 at new dojo of the Asian Improv aRts Midwest. The members of the Japanese/Japanese American community attended the recital to congratulate them.

   The three Toyoaki name recipients were Kiku Taura, Kioto Aoki, and Miyumi Aoki, and now they are allowed to use the professional names, Toyoaki Umeshi, Toyoaki Chitose, and Toyoaki Toho, respectively. (All the names in this article are written in the Japanese way; the family name comes first followed by the first name.)
   The Toyoakimoto is one of four Okiya (geisha houses) in Yotsuya district, Tokyo, which have been in operation since the mid-Edo period. Okiya is a house that dispatches live-in geisha at the request of ryotei (Japanese-style restaurants) and other establishments, and also provides training in the ozashiki (chamber) performing art.

   The Toyoakimoto is now a ryotei restaurant, and the head of the family, Toyoaki Toyoko, has carried on the ozashiki performing art from the old days of Okiya. The Toyoakimoto has maintained a naming system since the end of the Edo period, rather than the strictly regulated "Iemoto system" which has been employed in the schools such as Japanese dance, tea ceremony, and flower arrangement.  Those who named by the Toyoakimoto are allowed to play the shamisen under the name of Toyoaki. The three named performers this time became the fifth generation to carry on the tradition of the Toyoakimoto's ozashiki shamisen.

Formal certification to Toyoaki Toho issued by Grandmaster Toyoaki Toyoko (Photo Credit: AIRMW)

   On the other hand, it is also free to take the name of the Iemoto system while holding the name of Toyoaki, and both Toyoaki Toyoko and her mother, Toyoaki Aki, are Natori, professional name holders from a traditional dance school and a kouta school. Kouta is a song with short lyrics sung along with shamisen music.

A photo at the Toyoakimoto. From left, Umeshi, Toho, Grandmaster Toyoaki Toyoko, Chitose, and Sanjuro (Aoki Tatsu). (Photo Credit: AIRMW)

   May in 2023, the three Toyoaki Shamisen members were taken to the Toyoakimoto house in Tokyo accompanied by Toyoaki Sanjuro, whose real name was Aoki Tatsu who was born in the Toyoakimoto. They received a week-long training under the grandmaster Toyoaki Toyoko whose lessons included traditional cooking such as clear soup with authentic taste, and how to wear kimono dresses and obi sashes in the way of the Toyoakimoto tradition.

   While they were learning about cultural traditions, they had Toyoaki shamisen training every. On the last day of their training, they had to present six pieces of shamisen assignments in front of the grandmaster and the Toyoakimoto family, and were given professional names with the grandmaster’s approval. Shamisen music pieces require quick tuning changes between two pieces if tuning is needed, so the students must learn at least three of the four tunings to get approval from the grandmaster.

Ohirome Certification Recital

   In the Ohirome Certification Recital, nine pieces of ozashiki (chamber) shamisen were performed by the three recipients and other students.

Matsuda Ross (L), Hamamoto John (L2), Mitani Yuko (R2), and Taura Ian (R) play “Sakura.”

   The opening was a common piece “Sakura” in a celebratory occasion. It was played by Matsuda Ross, Hamamoto John, Mitani Yuko, and Taura Ian.

   The second piece, "Maeburi/Hayama," is called an intro song, and beginners start their lessons with this piece, which teaches the basic techniques of the right and left hands. The song was performed by Hamamoto John, Mitani Yuko, and Taura Ian.

   The third piece, "Kaburagi/Nomikai," is a study of improvisation, an important part of ozashiki shamisen playing. Improvisation is also important in jazz, blues, and rock music, and has been formulated in today's professional music education.

Toyoaki Umeshi (L), Ashikawa Lori (C), and Matsuda Ross perform “Matsu no Midori.”

   In particular, the shamisen performance of geisha, who are entertaining guests at a banquet, requires improvisation skills to play for a long time or cut their performance short, depending on the occasion. The piece was performed by Hamamoto John, Matsuda Ross, and Lori Ashikawa.

   The fourth piece, "Matsu no Midori/Ozashiki Mawashi," is one of the most famous nagauta, and each Okiya has its own version of this song, arranged by each Okiya.

   The masters of the Kineya family of kabuki came to the Toyoakimoto to teach nagauta shamisen. There was no written music note, so geisha ladies had to learn by listening to the music played by the masters. They learned Matsu no Midori by the same way and created Toyoakimoto’s own version. This piece was performed by Matsuda Ross and Ashikawa Lori.

   As the Ohirome presentation, three of the six assigned pieces, "Arakimachi Meguri," "Kuroda-bushi," and "Kakinabe," were performed by Toyoaki Umeshi, Toyoaki Chitose, and Toyoaki Toho. Smooth tuning changes were also made between pieces.

Grandmaster Fujima Yoshinojo (L) dances “Ume wa Saitaka” with Toyoaki shamisen music.

   Finally, all Toyoaki shamisen members played "Ume wa Saitaka", which was danced by grandmaster Fujima Yoshinojo of the Shubukai. The Ohirome Certification Recital was closed with a performance of "Jugoya" with the shinobue flute by Aoki Miyumi and tsuzumi drum by Aoki Kioto.

Interviews with Name Recipients

Toyoaki Umeshi (L), Toyoaki Chitose (C), and Toyoaki Toho play three of the six assigned pieces, "Arakimachi Meguri," "Kuroda-bushi," and "Kakinabe” at the Ohirome presentation.

Toyoaki Umeshi

   Taura Kiku, who was named Toyoaki Umeshi, is a Japanese American Sansei and fluent in Japanese. She married a Japanese man and lived in Tokyo for 20 years before returning to Chicago 16 years ago.

Q: How was the ceremony for naming in Tokyo?

Umeshi: The ceremony for the naming was an awesome experience.
   The name was given to me by the grandmaster, who is also Aoki Tatsu's mother, after much thought. Since I had only met her once before, she had a masculine impression of me, but later she also sensed my femininity and gave me the name Umeshi (宇女紫).

   I moved back to Chicago 16 years ago and have been learning the shamisen from Tatsu-sensei for about 12 years. I also joined the Tsukasa Taiko group and now do both. 

Q: Did you start playing the shamisen in Chicago?

Umeshi: I studied the shamisen in Japan for only one year and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to study it again someday.

Q: Is it difficult to tune shamisen in quickly between the pieces?

Umeshi: Yes, it is. I can take time to tune my shamisen in practice, but in a performance scene, I have to do it smoothly; otherwise, it is not professional looking. I’ve been trying to do it better.

Q: Do you play other instruments?

Umeshi: I studied playing the piano for seven years when I was young, but I didn’t like it, so I didn’t study hard.

   In Chicago, I have opportunities to learn from Tatsu-sensei and play with Taiko group. They are my treasures. I really think how happy I am just to be here in Chicago. Thank you so much!

Q: Thank you very much for your time here.

Toyoaki Chitose

Q: How do you feel about being named?

Chitose: I am grateful and happy, but there is a little pressure.
   I was in Tokyo for a week for the ceremony, and during that time I practiced and did an ohirome performance in front of the grandmaster, and then she gave me permission and my name Chitose. After that, we performed in front of the guests who came to the celebration party. The name was given to me according to my personality and so on. 

Q: Chitose san, you also play the tsuzumi and taiko drums.

Chitose: Yes. I have been playing the taiko for more than 20 years and the shamisen for more than 10 years. With this name, I have a heavier sense of responsibility to carry on the tradition. I feel that kind of pressure.

Q: Thank you very much.

Toyoaki Toho

Q: How was the ceremony in Japan?

Toho: We practiced every day for a week and performed in front of the grandmaster, the Toyoakimoto family, and guests on the last day.

   I was a little nervous when I was in Japan because many people came to see us, including Grandmaster Chizuru Kineya. Today, I was nervous about whether I would be able to perform as well here as I did when I received the approval. The other Toyoaki shamisen students were practicing very hard for this Ohirome Recital.

Q: Toho san, you also play shinobue flute and Japanese classical dance.

Toho: I have been playing the shamisen for about three years. I have been playing the flute since I was in junior high school, so I am not there yet. I still need to learn more about Japanese dance as well, so I will do my best in all of them.

Q: Thank you very much.