2. Erica Lo Set Lek 0319005 . Cheok Jian Shuang 0320089 .
Chong Kit Yee 0319748. Chong JiaYi 0320869. Caleb Soh Er Wen 0320292. Lucas Ong
Tun Cheik 0319979. Lim Yang Kang 0320538.
Lim Jey Shen 0319796 . Aaron Chong 032270
Characters Research
EmperorLim Yang Kang
The Japanese Imperialfamily is the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world. The family's lineage dates back to
the sixth century BC, though the title of Tenno (emperor) or Sumera-Mikoto (heavenly sovereign) was
assumed by rulers in the sixth or seventh century and has been used since. The family crest (above) is the kiku,
or chrysanthemum.
The role of the Emperor (and occasionally the Empress - there have been 8 to date) has varied in importance.
Considered a divine being until the end of World War II, the postwar Constitution made him the "Symbolof the
state". He plays a largely ceremonial part in the life of the nation.
Samurai Caleb, Jason, Lucas
The samuraiwere the warriors of premodern Japan. They later made up the ruling military class that eventually
became the highest ranking social caste of the Edo Period(1603-1867). Samurai employed a range of weapons
such as bows and arrows,spears and guns, but their main weapon and symbol was the sword.
Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior").
Strongly Confucian in nature, bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master,self discipline and
respectful, ethical behavior. Many samurai were also drawn to the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism.
Geisha Erica Lo
Geisha, geiko or geigi are traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills
include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music, dance, games and conversation, mainly to
entertain male customers.
Peasant 1 : Samurai Sword Maker Chong Kit Yee
Japanese swordsmithing is the labour-intensive bladesmithing process developed in Japan for forging
traditionally made bladed weapons
(nihonto) including katana, wazikashi, tanto,yari, naginata, nagamaki, tachi, uchigatana, nodachi ,odachi
kodachii, and ya (arrow). Japananese sword blades were often forged with different profiles, different blade
thicknesses, and varying amounts of grind. Wakizashi and tantō were not simply scaled-down katana; they
were often forged without ridge (hira-zukuri) or other such forms which were very rare on katana.
Peasant 2 : The Koinobori Maker Cheok Jian Shuang
Koinobori, meaning "carp streamer"in Japanese,are carp-shaped wind socks traditionally flown in Japan to
celebrate Tango no Sekku, a traditional calendrical event which is now designated a national
holiday; Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi).These wind socks are made by drawing carp patterns on paper, cloth
or other nonwoven fabric. They are then allowed to flutter in the wind. They are also known as satsuki-nobori.
3. Their origin dates back to the beginning of the Meiji period when a merchant who had a toy and stationery
business, on his way back from a visit to the Ise Shrine, saw paper carp made in Nagoya. This gave him the
idea of having a Japanese kite maker make the paper carp,which he then sold.
Peasant 3 : Monk Chong Jia Yi
Buddhism has been practiced in Japan since at least 552 AD,though some Chinese sources place the first
spreading of the religion earlier during the Kofun period (250 to 538). Buddhism has had a major influence on
the development of Japanese society and remains an influential aspect of the culture to this day.
There were 2 types of monk in ancient japan, So hei(warrior monk) and Buddhist monk. Warrior monks held
considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate. While buddhist monks do
not have much association with government.
Peasant 4 : Rebeller & Shishimai Aaron Chong
Rebeller
There is a great deal of ritual associated with seppuku, particularly when it was done as a protest, or as an
honourable punishment. In such cases it might be performed in a spiritually clean temple or similar location,
but other locations (e.g. on the field of battle, for members of the losing side) were also common.
Seppuku was officially abolished during the Meiji Restoration in 1868, but did not completely die out. Dozens
of people are known to have committed seppuku since then, including a large group of military men who
committed suicide in 1895 as a protest against the return of a conquered territory, to China; by General Nogi
and his wife on the death of Emperor Meiji in 1912; and by numerous soldiers and civilians who chose to die
rather than surrender at the end of World War II.
Shishimai
Japan has a long tradition of the lion dance and the dance is known as shishi-mai in Japanese. It is thought to
have been imported from China during the Tang Dynasty, and became associated with celebration of Buddha's
birthday. The oldest surviving lion mask, made of paulownia wood with an articulated lower jaw, is preserved
in Japan.The dance is commonly performed during the NewYear where the lion dancers may be accompanied
by flute and drum musicians.
4.
5. Costume Research
Emperor
"Sokutai" is the most formal clothing that really high ranked court officer wore. The name, "Sokutai" is
originally from "Sekitai" which is like a belt with stone decoration. "Soku" means a bunch of something and
"tai" means a belt that binds up some clothing. You'll see the costume that highest ranked ministers in the court
wore in the Heian period.
6. Samurai
The Samurai warrior was an expert in hand to hand combat. The disciplines he mastered included Ju Jitsu,
Iaido and swordsmanship. The Samurai would fight mounted on a horse or on foot. It is said that some of their
opponents were strong and skilled enough to be able to punch through the Samurai armor with a single strike
from their fist.
7. Geisha
Geisha always wear kimono. Geisha wear highly colorful kimono with extravagant obi. Always, the obi is
brighter than the kimono she is wearing to give a certain exotic balance. Maiko wear the obi tied in a style
called "darari". Older geisha wear more subdued patterns and styles. The sign of a prosperous okiya is having
geisha not wearing a kimono more than once,meaning that those okiyas with higher economic status will have
"storehouses" of sorts where kimono are stored and interchanged between geisha.
The color, pattern, and style of kimono is also dependent on the season and the event the geisha is attending. In
winter, geisha can be seen wearing a three-quarter length haori lined with hand painted silk over their kimono.
Lined kimono are worn during colder seasons, and unlined kimono during the summer. A kimono can take
from 2–3 years to complete, due to painting and embroidering.The white makeup that is a trademark of the
geisha was once lead-based and poisonous. Now, it is harmless. If a maiko follows the traditional way of
achieving the look,she first applies oiland a layer of wax to her face. This makes the skin perfectly smooth and
forms a base to which the white powder can adhere. She then applies red lipstick only to her lower lip. This is
a sign that she is an apprentice.
8. Peasant : Koinobori Maker
Peasant Clothing- Boro
Boro is the clothing that was worn by peasants, merchants or artisans in Japan from Edo up to early Showa
(17th – early 19th century). In feudal times, the majority were peasant farmers. Not everyone could afford the
lavish silk kimono and vivid obi worn by the aristocracy. Clothes were crafted from cheaper materials, but
were no less beautiful than those worn by the upper classes.
9. Peasant : Samurai Sword Maker
The kosode is a basic Japanese robe for both men and women. Worn as both an undergarment and overgarment,
it is what most people imagine when using the much broader term kimono. The literal meaning of the term
kosode is "small sleeve," which refers to the sleeve opening. Kosode are T-shaped, have a looser fit than the
Kimono and come in varying lengths. Kosode replaced the many layered,unlined hirosodes. Over time kosode
gradually developed into a wide variety of styles, with patterns and fabrics
10. Peasant : Monk
Buddhist kāṣāya said to have originated in India as set of robes for the devotees of GautamaBuddha. .
Original kāṣāya were constructed of discarded fabric. These were stitched together to form three rectangular
pieces of cloth, which were then fit over the body in a specific manner. The three main pieces of cloth are
theantarvāsa, the uttarāsaṅga, and the saṃghāti. Together they form the "triple robe," or tricīvara.
The antarvāsa is the inner robe covering the lower body. It is the undergarment that flows underneath the other
layers of clothing. It has a large neck, and almost entirely covers the torso. In representations of the Buddha,
the bottom of the antarvāsa usually protrudes, and appears in the rough shape of a triangle.
Uttarāsaṅga is a robe covering the upper body.
The saṃghāti is an outer robe used for various occasions. It comes over the upper robe (uttarāsaṅga), and the
undergarment (antarvāsa).
11. Shishimai
The Shishimai is a costume that originates from the Japanese Lion Dance. This lion was meant to protect the
land by scaring away evil spirits. As a matter of fact, Shishimai dance serves to ward offevil spirits and brings
good harvest, wealth, and prosperity to the region.
12. Props Research
Samurai Sword
In modern times the most commonly known type of Japanese sword is the Shinogi-Zukuri katana, which is a
single-edged and usually curved long sword traditionally worn by samurai from the 15th century
onwards.Other types of Japanese swords include: tsurugi or ken, which is a double-edged sword;ōdachi,
nodachi,tachi,which are older styles of a very long single-edged sword; wakizashi,a medium-sized sword and
tantō which is an even smaller knife-sized sword. Naginata and yari despite being pole-arms are still
considered to be swords.
Japanese swords are still commonly seen today, antique and modern forged swords can easily be found and
purchased. Modern, authentic nihontō are made by a few hundred swordsmiths. Many examples can be seen at
an annual competition hosted by the All Japan Swordsmith Association, under the auspices of the Nihontō
Bunka Shinkō Kyōkai (Society for the promotion of Japanese Sword Culture).
Some western historians have said that Japanese katana were among the finest cutting weapons in world
military history.
Horse of Samurai
13. At the present time, genetics show that Japanese horses derived from the small sturdy Mongolian horses. In
Japan today, eight horse breeds are recognized and all of these are small in stature—averaging 13 to 14 hands.
Since there is relatively little pastureland in Japan, horses were generally stabled when they were not being
ridden.
During the Heian period (794 to 1185), the era in which the concept of the samurai arose, horses became an
essential part of every noble warrior’s equipment. This was an era in which power was centralized around an
imperial court based in Kyoto. While it is common to assume that the sword was the soul of the samurai, the
samurai’s primary fighting skill was horse-mounted archery. The samurai was the way of the horse and the
bow.
14. Koinobori
Koinobori means "carp streamer" in Japanese, are carp-shaped wind socks traditionally flown in Japan to
celebrate Tango no Sekku , a traditional calendrical event which is now designated a national holiday;
Children's Day. These wind socks are made by drawing carp patterns on paper,cloth or other nonwoven fabric.
They are then allowed to flutter in the wind. They are also known as satsuki-nobori .
Children's Day takes place on May 5, the last day of Golden Week, the largest break for workers and also a
week in which businesses usually close for up to 9–10 days. Landscapes across Japan are decorated with
koinobori from April to early May, in honor of sons for a good future and in the hope that they will grow up
healthy and strong.
16. A Traditional Japanese fan can be made from paper, feathers or thin material mounted on slats. Today, the fans
used in fan dancing are usually made from paper, and are elaborately painted and folded. The fans must be
made using a paper pivot attachment, a mechanism that allows the dancer to fold and open the fan with a single
flick of the wrist, so that the fan may be easily folded and twirled in the movements of the dance. Fan dances
are usually accompanied by traditional Japanese music.
Story Research
Social Strata
The Noble Class:
The Noble Class was the Uppermost and far more Superior Class than rest of the people in Japan. The Noble
Class was further categorized in three more parts in the Ancient Japanese Hierarchy named the Emperors, the
Daimyo and the Samurai which are described as below:
The Emperor: The Emperor was also referred as the King possessed the Supreme Power in all the Classes.
The Emperor wasequivalent to the God for the countrymen. The order of an Emperor wasconsidered the final
decision and no person was allowed to question the order. They ruled the kingdom and handled the
administration.
The Daimyo: The Daimyo were also referred as the Warlords and they got Second Highest Powers in the
society lower than the Emperor. They possessed the entire Military as wellas the Economic Power in the entire
Ancient Japanese Hierarchy. They used to possess huge lands hereditarily and they lead the armies to save the
land and the workers also. The country’s security was under their leadership and responsibility.
The Samurai: The armies lead by the Daimyos consisted of the powerful and brave warriors named as
Samurai. These heroic warriors were under the leadership of the Daimyos. These warriors possessed extra
privileges’ than the common people and also had higher status than others. They protected the entire Nation
with their bravery and heroism.
The Peasant Class/ the Common Man:
The Common Man or Layman referred as the Peasant Class was the Lowest Class and possessed almost very
few or No Powers at all. They performed day to day working which a common man does to earn a livelihood.
17. The Peasant Class was further divided into many Sub-Classes which included Farmers who were the highest
ranked Class in these Sub-Classes and then come the Artisans followed by the Craftsmen and in the end, the
Merchants.Abrief description is as follow:
The Farmers: The Farmers were the topmost Class in the Peasant Sub-Class in the Ancient Japanese
Hierarchy. The Farmers having their own land were Superior to the Farmers not having their own land.
Craftsmen/Artisans: These were among the Second Highest Class in the Peasant Sub-Class in the Ancient
Japanese Hierarchy and were lower to the Farmers. Their work was with metaland wood and some of them got
famous as ardent Samurai Sword makers.
Merchants: Merchants were among the Lowest Class in the Peasant Sub-Class in the Ancient Japanese
Hierarchy because it was thought that their earning is totally dependent on other people’s work.
Culture
Suicide
The first recorded act of seppuku was performed by Minamoto no Yorimasa during the Battle of Uji in the year
1180.Seppuku eventually became a key part of bushido, the code of the samurai warriors; it was used by
warriors to avoid falling into enemy hands, and to attenuate shame and avoid possible torture. Samurai could
also be ordered by their daimyo (feudal lords) to carry out seppuku. Later, disgraced warriors were sometimes
allowed to carry out seppuku rather than be executed in the normal manner. The most common form of
seppuku for men was composed of the cutting of the abdomen, and when the samurai was finished, he
stretched out his neck for an assistant to decapitate him. Since the main point of the act was to restore or protect
one's honor as a warrior, those who did not belong to the samurai caste were never ordered or expected to carry
out seppuku. Samurai generally could carry out the act only with permission.
Japanese Ancient Fan Dance
The traditional Japanese fan dance is usually performed by a young woman, either singly or in a group of
dancers. It involves using a hand-held fan as a prop. The dancers often wear brightly colored Japanese kimonos,
and have elaborately arranged hair and bold make-up. Fan dancing involves slow, deliberate movements,
figures and poses, which sometimes tell a story.
raditional fan dancing can still be seen in Japan today, although it is no longer the dance of aristocrats. It is
performed with hand-painted fans, usually made from paper, to the accompaniment of live music, often
involving singing and the playing of a shamisen (a three-stringed instrument). Sometimes fan dancing is
performed for western audiences with faster and showier choreography, accompanied by recorded music, but
this is not traditional fan dancing.
18. Performance of Shishimai
The lion dance has been completely absorbed into Japanese tradition,and the style of dancing and design of the
lion differs by region. There are many different lion dances in Japan - it is believed that as many as 9,000
variations of the dance exist in the country. The lion dance is also used in religious Shinto festivals as part of a
performing art form called kagura. There are two main groups of shishi kagura - the daikagura which is
mainly acrobatic, and theyamabushi kagura.
Myth
Nine Tail Fox
19. "Kitsune" (pronounced "kee-tsoo-neh", sometimes Woolseyized to "keaton") is the Japanese word for fox, but
it can also refer to a type of Youkai in Japanese Myth , an intelligent fox creature with magical powers,
including Shapeshifting (particularly to human form), enchantment, illusion, Faux Flame, and supernatural
form. In fox form, they tend to grow additional tails as they get older, up to nine in total (known as Kyūbi no
Kitsune.)
Play Script
Introductory Scene
Narrator : Once upon a time, Japan was a peaceful nation. The citizens went about their daily
routine without a worry in life. Farmers couldfarm, merchants could trade, and kids could run
about playing with one another. And everyone was happy!
* Blacksmith, monk, merchant and musician enters the scene and roam about *
20. * Blacksmith sits down, the three Samurai's enter *
* Samurai walks to blacksmith, inspects sword then leaves with the sword *
Narrator : But all that changed during the rule of the Edo Empire. The new emperor was evil,
harsh and very inhumane. Because of this, Japan experienced a period of civil uprising. The
pheasants became increasingly unhappy with the rule of the emperor. This lead to a rebellion.
In response, the emperor needed someone to take care of the rebellion, so he summoned his
loyal samurai.
Scene 1 [Emperor's Court]
* Emperor sited on throne*
* Samurai walks in and bows*
Samurai : Greets the emperor. Sire, you summoned me?
Emperor: Greetings my loyal soldier. Yes, there is an issue that has bothered me for the past
few days which I would want you to settle for me.
Samurai: My king, what is the matter?
Emperor: Peasants have rebelled at the X district, and I want my most loyal man to settle this
rebellion at all costs.
Samurai: Okiedokies.
*Samurai leaves the Emperor's courts*
Scene 2 [Village]
* Peasants in complete disarray*
* Peasants running around *
* Shouting, wailing, crying, agony *
* Three Samurai's enter scene. Samurai 2 & 3 kills the villagers. Samurai 1 fights with the
rebel leader *
* Rebel leader is injured *
* Peasant (rebellion leader) kneels on the floor *
* Three Samurai surrounds him *
Samurai : Look around you. I told you it can never end well for people of your kind!
Rebel Leader : You wretched, soft, spineless puppets of the emperor! Do you not see the
injustice that is around you? How long more would you continue to be blinded by the trickery
of the Emperor! Fool!
Samurai: You are the one who is a fool! I don't expect someone like you to understand the
dreams and visions of our emperor!
Rebel Leader : Ignorant fool!....
Samurai : Enough! I had enough of this nonsense! Being the gentleman I am, I shall give you
the option to commit seppuku or we would happilly take your life!
Rebel Leader : Never would I let the puppets of the Emperor take my life!
21. * Peasant carries out Seppuku *
Scene 3 [Teahouse]
Narrator : Having successfully put down the rebelllion, the Samurai returns to the emperor
victorious. The emperor then holds a celebration at the teahouse in honor of the Samurai's
victory.
* Emperor sitting down with the Samurai's sitted in two rows beside him *
Narrator : At the tea house, a geisha performs the traditional dance and then carries out the tea
ceremony
* Geisha enters *
* Geisha starts the traditional tea ceremony *
* Geisha proceeds to perform traditional dance *
Narrator : At this point, one of the Samurai took a particular interest in the Geisha's.
* Samurai acts love struck *
* Geisha's dance ends *
* Geisha steals a look back at the Samurai as she leaves the scene *
Narrator ; After the Geisha's traditional dance performance, the Shishimai performance
started. This performance is usually performed to signify blessings.
* Shishimai enters *
* Shishimai performance starts *
* Shishimai performance ends *
Narrator : The celebration concluded with the end of the shishimai's performance. The
emperor and his loyal Samurai's then left for their respective residence.
Scene 4 [Samurai's Bedroom]
Narrator : Back at his residence, the Samurai went to bed and soon started to dream.
* Samurai is sleeping *
* Dreams about Geisha transforming into the nine-tail fox *
* Wakes up suddenly *
* Notices the Geisha standing at a dark corner in his room *
* Slowly stands up and walks hesitantly towards the Geisha *
* Samurai is drag forward suddenly and disappears *
*Lights off, scream *
Narrator : Nothing was heard of the Samurai ever since then. Up to today, no one knows what
has become of him, and the mystery goes on....
~ THE END ~
28. Crucial Scene
Scene 1
Social Strata
Peasants rebel because the emperor cannot rule the country properly. So the emperor order those
samurai to settle down the rebellion.
29. Scene 2
Social Strata & Culture
Samurai reach the village and start to fight with the peasant. They kill the all the rebellers,
31. Scene 4
Culture
Emperor and Samurai went to teahouse to celebrate. Geisha & Shishimai are performing to entertain
them. One ofthe Samurai fall in love to the Geisha while she is performing.
32. Scene 5
Myth
The Samurai went home after the celebration andsleep. He dream the nine tail fox and actually the nine
tail fox is he Geisha that he fall in love with.
