• (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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• no.40
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• pp.71-109
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• 2020

Nihonbuyo(日本舞踊), a typical traditional Japanese dance, began with kabuki dancing and formed many schools, and was managed by Iemoto system. Iemoto(家元) is the head family of a school of a traditional Japanese art. Iemoto(家元) existed after the establishment of the ancient family system, and it was established as a system during the modern feudal period. Especially in Nihon Buyo, the Iemoto system has developed greatly since the modern era. Iemoto System has has contributed greatly to the succession of traditional arts and has been considered one of the characteristics of Japanese society. Basically, Iemoto system considers it the best authority to pass on the skills of excellent teachers without any distortion. It has various forms depending on the field and the school, but it is an organization with a family structure similar to that of a family with Iemoto at the top. In this article, I examined the establishment and background of the Nihonbuyo and considered the succession of the fame and authority of Iemoto through the system of succession. There are so many schools in the Nihonbuyo world that it is said to be a school kingdom. These schools were divided into kabuki actors, choreographers, female entertainers, ChiutaMai dance(地唄舞) and new dance styles, and the aspect of the Iemoto system was examined through the background and characteristics of each school. While Iemoto system has a positive aspect of inheriting the tradition, there are also many negative criticisms in the art world, such as rigid organizational management, the products of feudal society, the power of Iemoto, and the stalemate of arts. Nevertheless, in a Japanese society that places importance on tradition, the landlady system will not disappear easily. In fact, today, when there are many different art genres in common, young dancers are starting to challenge themselves along with self-examination of Iemoto in order to make the best use of traditional art. We hope that through consideration of the Japanese housekeeping system, it will become a place where intangible cultural properties will be re-acknowledged.