Pit Workers in the Old Days #14 (3) (Popular Reciter, Yasuhei from Nogata)
1958 - 1963

Mukashi no Yamabito #14 (3) (Saimon-katari, Nogata no Yasuhei)
[Pit Workers in the Old Days #14 (3) (Popular Reciter, Yasuhei from Nogata)]
21.0 x 30.3 cm Ink Painting

Text on the Right
In the Meiji era (1868-1912), people sometimes hired popular reciters (saimon-katari) to give public performances and make tips for their relief funds to help people in need, suffering from non-occupational diseases. Their recitation was not called naniwa-bushi like today but called okare-bushi. The okare-bushi reciter was usually called a saemon-katari (in dialect). The saimon recited by Mr. Yasuhei from Nogata was the oddest of all and he called his recitation tsukkiri-bushi. He performed it, kindling the audience's interest with emotional ringing sounds made by a shakujo (an about 20-cm-long metal stick with a moving head). He shook it quietly up and down in his right hand instead of beating the desk before him rhythmically with a folding-fan-shaped iron used by ordinary saimon-katari performers. Other saimon-katari performers, such as Aicho from Akasaka, Shonai Village and Ipponsha from Iizuka Town were also loved by the pit workers. In other words, it goes without saying that raising funds was the main purpose of these performances.
Additional Notes: A passage from the prologue of Mr. Yasuhei's performance was as follows:

"Ochite kasanaru, ochite kasanaru... (kore o nijukkai yo renpatsu suru saigo ni hito shita) ushi no kuso."

"What falls and heaps, what falls and heaps... (The same phrase was repeated more than 20 times before the punch line) is cow dung."

(His specialties were a story of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Taikoki and a story of the forty-seven loyal samurai, Ako Gishi Den.)

Text on the Left
Mr. Yasuhei from Nogata was popular in the Onga valley. About 30 mm in diameter, the head of his shakujo stick in the shape of a heart shook when he softly moved the stick up and down or back and forth. The rhythmic movement made ringing sounds. He was more than 50 years of age and his chin always appeared to tremble.

Text at the Top Right
He announced each giver's name and each sum of tips to the audience, but purposely doubled the giver's sum when he spoke.

Lettering on a Piece of Paper Exhibited behind the Performer
O-hana: tip
Ichi Kin Rokujussen: 60 sen in cash
Nonomura Sama: Mr. Nonomura

Lettering on the Table Cloth before the Performer
Nogata Yasuhei san e: To Mr. Yasuhei from Nogata


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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