OKEIKO 39

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OKEIKO 39
Kagekiyo is a warlord who actually existed in the 12th century. His life is shrouded in mystery, and there are many legends to be found about him all over Japan. For this reason, he has been portrayed on ukiyo-e woodblock prints and even featured in kabuki and bunraku. He also appears in some Nihonbuyo pieces. The end of the 12th century was a transition period from a dynastic state to a samurai society, when two clans, the Minamoto and the Taira, rose to power and fought a final battle at Dannoura (the strait between present-day Kyushu and Honsu). "Shikoro-biki" ("Neck-guard Pulling") is an episode of that battle. Shikoro" is the name of the back part of the helmet (*which protects the back of the neck). The story of how Taira warlord Kagekiyo pulled the shikoro of the helmet of Genji warlord Mionoya, and how the strength of the former's arm and the latter's neck compete with each other, is depicted in two roles played by one dancer.
(Mitsuko T. Sakurai)

*TN