OKEIKO 47

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OKEIKO 47
In the second half of "Oimatsu", the text continues, "The long life of the crane nesting on the branches of the pine that is an auspicious tree...". Then a turtle also appears. But how did the crane and the tortoise suddenly come to be here? - the viewer may wonder. There is a famous Chinese proverb that says: "Cranes live for a thousand years, turtles for ten thousand". The meaning of this proverb is that since the crane lives for a thousand years and the tortoise for ten thousand years, they are lucky and auspicious symbols. (In reality, of course, the lifespan of cranes and turtles is not so long.) Then, like a great river, gold, silver and precious stones flow into the treasure trove. The contents remain festive throughout. It is said to have been the custom in the past for this piece, which lasts about 8 minutes and is packed with elements of joy and good wishes, as well as a variety of movements, to be performed by the patron of the programme (*the master who organised the performance) as the last act of the dance performance.
(Mitsuko T. Sakurai)