岡本文弥記念館

Okamoto Bunya was born on January 1, 1895 in Yanaka, Tokyo. His birth name was Takeichi Inoue. His father was a bricklayer and civil engineering contractor. His mother Tora was a Shinnai-bushi performer with the stage name Tsuruga Wakakichi (later also known as Okamoto Miyasome III). Bunya learned Shinnai-bushi naturally, by growing up listening to his mother’s singing. After he graduated from Keika Middle School, he entered Waseda University, but he soon dropped out. As a young literature enthusiast, he often sent his manuscripts to popular literature magazines. In 1913, he received his first stage name, Fujimatsu Kagajidayû and became a professional Shinnai-bushi performer. Around this period, he worked as an editor of literature magazines at a publishing company during the day, and performed in the street in the evening. 

 

In 1923, he became independent and re-established the Shinnai Okamoto School together with his mother. He soon changed his stage name to Okamoto Bunya. He started to perform with his adopted sister, Okamoto Miyasome IV who was a talented shamisen player. They became a powerful team who actively performed and preserved the classic repertoire they had inherited from their mother. In addition, they created and performed an enormous number of original compositions. Bunya created about 300 original compositions throughout his life. He found inspiration in Japanese (and foreign) literature, poetry, folk stories and myths to create his new Shinnai-bushi repertoire. His creations even include anti-war and leftist Shinnai, which he created to protest war or to depict the life of the working class.  In 1936, he started to work with spirited choreographers/dancers such as Fujikage Seiju and Fujima Kantae to establish Shinnai Buyō (Shinnai Dance).  His innovative achievement with his creation of a Shinnai Buyō repertoire has been highly acclaimed. 

 

He has received many prestigious awards and honors in Japan including the Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts (Geijutsusenshō Monbu Daijin shō) in 1957; the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon (Shiju Hōshō) in 1971, the Matsuo Prize for Entertainment in 1988; and the Pola Award for Traditional Culture in 1990. In 1957 he was made a Holder of Records of Shinnai-bushi Intangible Cultural Property (Mukei Bunkazai Shinnai-bushi Kiroku Hojisha).

 

He stayed active as a Shinnai-bushi performer throughout his 101 years of life. He was married to Okamoto Miyasome V. He had numerous books published as an essayist, a Shinnai-bushi researcher, and haiku poet. His favorite motto was “Kotsukotsu Ikiru. Shigoto suru." (Live diligently.  Work diligently.)

 

Through his long career, he largely contributed to the modernization and promotion of Shinnai-bushi. He had close relationships with many cultural figures across different genres. Bunya was a rare artist who was popular among the ordinary people and his reach went beyond Japanese traditional music fans.