Friday, April 27, 2012

Iemoto System


Iemoto System

The Iemoto System was not unique to Noh theater. This highly Confucian ideology of rank, became the way by which the Japanese transmitted knowledge in various areas- dance, incense-making, martial arts, tea ceremony etc. At the head of the Iemoto system is the grand master. The grand master has the power to issue licenses to his pupil to teach or advance in the respective art. This supposedly allowed for the art to stay faithful to the original style. At the highest levels, a license to teach can cost millions of yen. Often the grandmaster position is transmitted by heredity.

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