Pop Japan

Nankin Tamasudare is a traditional Japanese street performance popular in the Edo period. It literally means Nanjing Lily, and the name is a play on words that can mean ‘flower’ or ‘woven screen’. 

The performer manipulates the screen (made of slats of wood or bamboo sticks woven with a string called a Sudare) to portray the object in the story he is chanting. The screen is loose, and can be twisted, extended, and can be maneuvered to enchant the audience with the story. When the chant ends, usually with a pun, the sticks are brought back to the original shape. 

Photo by:PROJoi Ito. Licensed under Creative Commons. 

Tags: nankin tamasudare, traditional, street performance, edo period, japanese, nanjing lily, flower, woven screen, sudare