白拍子(しらびょうし)

しらびょうし
noun
shirabyoshi; female dancer-entertainer (Heian/Kamakura era)
academicoccupation
1. shirabyoshi; female dancer-entertainer of the Heian and Kamakura periods
Female performers of the late Heian and Kamakura periods who danced and sang while dressed in male court attire (a white suikan robe and tall eboshi hat). The name comes from the simple, unaccompanied rhythm (白拍子) of their performances. Famous shirabyoshi include Shizuka Gozen and Giō.
白拍子(しらびょうし)は男装(だんそう)で舞(まい)を舞(ま)った。
Shirabyoshi performed their dances dressed in men's clothing.
静御前(しずかごぜん)は有名(ゆうめい)な白拍子(しらびょうし)だった。
Shizuka Gozen was a famous shirabyoshi dancer.
平安時代(へいあんじだい)末期(まっき)から鎌倉時代(かまくらじだい)にかけて、白拍子(しらびょうし)は貴族(きぞく)や武士(ぶし)の間(あいだ)で人気(にんき)があった。
From the late Heian to the Kamakura period, shirabyoshi dancers were popular among nobles and warriors.

Cultural note

白拍子(しらびょうし) originally referred to a style of song and dance performed to a simple beat without instrumental accompaniment. It later came to refer to the female performers themselves. Their distinctive feature was performing in 男装(だんそう) (male attire) — a 水干(すいかん) (white robe) and 烏帽子(えぼし) (tall court hat).

Famous shirabyoshi

  • 静御前(しずかごぜん) — beloved of 源義経(みなもとのよしつね)
  • 祇王(ぎおう) — featured in the 平家物語(へいけものがたり)

Common collocations

  • 白拍子(しらびょうし)の舞(まい) (shirabyoshi dance)
  • 白拍子(しらびょうし)を舞(ま)う (to perform a shirabyoshi dance)
general
Added 2026.3.11 23:10 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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