Living National Treasure Fusako Shida "The sound of water droplets heard in a gama" at the origin of Ryukyu dance July 5, 11:44

The girl who realized "living" by the sound of water droplets "poton, poton" heard in the natural cave Gama hidden in the Battle of Okinawa became the first living national treasure in Ryukyu dance, and this May , Decorated the stage of the 50th anniversary of the return to the mainland.

Fusako Shida says that "dancing is a part of my organs."

Her creative dance, "Requiescats," begins with the dripping sound of that water drop that I heard in a cattail 77 years ago.

(Okinawa Broadcasting Station Reporter Nishime Mutsumi)

Ryukyu dance that permeates Okinawa

This year May 15th.

At the venue in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, there was Ms. Fusako Shida, who performed the Ryukyu dance quietly and brilliantly.

On the 50th anniversary of the return to the mainland from 27 years of American rule, a commemorative ceremony was held in Okinawa, attended by the Prime Minister and the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture.

It was Mr. Shida who decorated the opening of the reception with Ryukyu dance.

For the first time in the field of Ryukyu dance, Mr. Shida was certified as a national important intangible cultural property holder, the so-called "Living National Treasure" last fall.

Ryukyu dance, which is an important intangible cultural property of the country, includes "classical dance" and "zoodori".

During the Ryukyu Kingdom era, when Okinawa traded with China today, the "classical dance" was completed with the prestige of the country to entertain envoys from China. "Miscellaneous dance" was made.

Ryukyu dance is commonly known as "Ryumai", and many people in Okinawa have been learning it as a lesson since they were children.

By the way, I was born in Okinawa and learned in a high school physical education class, but I remember keenly aware of the big difference between familiarity and dancing.

A girl that everyone knows

Immediately after writing the article that Mr. Shida was certified as a Living National Treasure, when I visited my parents' house, I was reminded of Mr. Shida's greatness from the words of my mother.

My mother, who was the same age as Mr. Shida, started talking with excitement about her maiden name, Ms. Meibo Neji, saying, "I'm glad Ms. Meibo Neji. It's a living national treasure."

Mr. Shida with 82 years of art history.

He has been famous in Okinawa since he was in elementary school.

Even so ...

Do I have to start from there?

Based in Tokyo, Mr. Shida moved to Tokyo, the birthplace of her husband, when she got married four years before Okinawa returned to the mainland.

At that time, Okinawa was treated as a "foreign country" under American rule.

She traveled to the mainland with a travel certificate that acted like a passport.

She says that what stunned Mr. Shida was her misunderstanding of Okinawa, as well as her low awareness of Ryukyu dance.

"I didn't really understand Okinawa, and when I talked to him, I was told that I was good at Japanese. I wondered if I had to start from there rather than Ryukyu dance."

Mr. Shida adds.

"Since it became a burnt field in the Battle of Okinawa, after the war, the media reported that they were living barefoot and the poor situation, but the people of the mainland still seem to be dragging that impression. was"

I have to get to know life-sized Okinawa.

Mr. Shida takes an action.

I want to spread the Ryukyu dance

Mr. Shida will perform Ryukyu dance every time, such as a child's nursery event.

"When there was entertainment in the program at the graduation ceremony and the thank-you party, I asked,'Would you like me to dance?'. I was wondering if it would bother the children, but I was worried. Our children were proud to be from Okinawa, so I didn't dislike it. "

Ryukyu dance includes "miscellaneous dance" that dances lightly with bare feet, but we did not show any dance with bare feet and started by introducing a gorgeous classical dance.

"I've come to be told,'Okinawa had such a dance. It's okay to dance Ryukyu.'"

In 1972, Okinawa returned to the mainland.

Ryukyu dance gradually spread as it became free to travel to and from the mainland.

And Mr. Shida will take a new step.

One letter of the late master is used as a school name

Mr. Shida will launch a new school, "Chouyo".

The word "ju" was given by Morishige Tamaki, a master of Ryukyu dance that Mr. Shida first introduced.

Mr. Shida, who studied under the masterpiece "Munjuru" at the age of only three, called his master "Grandfather" and thoroughly practiced "walking" while walking slowly.

But tragedy comes.

Habu, hunger, malaria, memory of the Battle of Okinawa

At the age of seven, the Battle of Okinawa at the end of the Pacific War began.

Mr. Shida evacuates to the northern part of the main island of Okinawa, scared by the mercilessly falling shells and roaring sounds.

At that time, there were many people who escaped barefoot, but Mr. Shida wore strong tabi socks for Ryukyu dance and continued walking for several days.

The destination of the evacuation that I finally arrived at was his father's hometown and now Ogimi Village.

I was hiding in the mountains so that the U.S. military couldn't find it, but a series of people were bitten by the hub and lost their lives. I did.

Habu's horror, stringiness, and the sight of people who have been infected with malaria for 77 years are still in their minds.

"I'm trembling like I'm attracted. Everyone's lying side by side with the same symptoms. Men aren't taken by the soldiers, so moms and women pick up the basho leaves and smash the core. Soften it and lay it on the floor and let it lie down. The leaves are cold, so I guess I tried to cool my hot body even a little. I don't have a towel, so I wet my clothes with river water and hang them on my body. We took the heat and helped each other. "

During the day when the US military attacked, the family hid themselves in a cattail in a natural cave.

It is said that a certain sound heard there made Mr. Shida realize that he was alive.

"Potton, poton and drips fall from the tip of the cattail. That sound is a pleasant sound for me. Now, the time to listen to the sound is the time when everyone is alive. I hope everyone is fine. I had the feeling that I was a child. "

And the end of the war.

The Shida family survived a fierce ground battle, but the lives of their loved ones were lost.

Still continue to dance

After the war, Mr. Shida heard that his master, Morishige, died in the Battle of Okinawa.

But he never gave up on the dance.

In the midst of scarce post-war supplies, Shida's mother sewed US military surplus sheets into a costume, and Shida wore that costume and danced on the stage in the neighborhood.

"You put a drum in the square, put a plywood on it, and dance on it. Still, everyone applauds and clapping and makes you dance with a smile. Dancing enriches everyone's hearts. "

Mr. Shida will continue to refine his art such as the miscellaneous dance "Mun Juru", which was prepared by the late Morishige, and will disseminate the charm of Ryukyu dance at domestic and overseas performances.

In addition, she energetically works on the production of creative dances, and creates the work "Requiescats" based on the experience of the Battle of Okinawa.

77 years ago, the dripping sound of that water drop I heard at the evacuated cattail.

The work that begins with that sound quietly appeals to the preciousness of requiescats and peace.

"I just want you to be peaceful. As someone who has experienced the Battle of Okinawa, I don't think the same person should do anything that destroys the culture and everything we are trying to protect."

"One in four citizens of the prefecture"

It was Mr. Shida's heavy words that we cannot help but overlap the battle of Okinawa, where many residents died, and the current situation in Ukraine.

Dance is one of the organs, and peace is

In June, Mr. Shida visited the "Cornerstone of Peace" with the names of the war dead before "Okinawa Memorial Day", which is said to be the end of the organized battle against Okinawa.

I went with my 20s disciple to the place where the name of Morishige, the master who was sacrificed in the Battle of Okinawa, is engraved.

Mr. Shida quickly approached the name "Morishige Tamaki" so that he could be drawn to him, and gently stroked the name over and over again with his palm.

Immediately after that, it rained like hitting the ground, and I couldn't even interview, but I could clearly hear Mr. Shida's sobbing voice in my ears, and I could see something shining in his eyes.

Mr. Shida tried to push his back by the name of his master and said in a tongue twister than usual.

"I would like to carry on the Ryukyu dance and my thoughts on war so that the children who will lead the next generation will face more war and let Okinawa know that war should not be done."

Mr. Shida lithely says, "I think there is an organ called dance in my body."

Mr. Shida, who has walked through the world of "Ikusa", "American", and "Yamato" with Ryukyu dance, continues to dance while wishing for "Milk" in a peaceful world.

Okinawa Broadcasting Station Reporter

Nishime Mutsumi (from Naha City)

Joined in 1992

Continued coverage of Okinawa such as the Battle of Okinawa and base problems