(Imagination) Yokai Fitness! A fusion of Kurozuka exercise and Japanese physical culture

Introduction | Do yokai and health go together?

Please bear with me as I indulge in this fantasy. Starting with Yokai Watch, which sparked a social phenomenon with its "Yokai Exercise No. 1," yokai have long symbolized the "invisible" and "power of feeling." Recently, the idea of "yokai exercises" to tone the mind and body in our daily lives has become more realistic.

This time, we will explore the possibilities of yokai and physical culture through exercises based on the Noh play "Kurozuka." In fact, the idea for this article was born naturally during a discussion with an AI (Tsuku-chan). People and AI talk about the body through yokai - we will talk about the imaginary exchange between the AI and the yokai shop.

The potential of yokai and exercise

Here is a unique exercise idea that combines the entertainment element of "impersonating the movements of a yokai" with the introspective approach of "feeling the meaning of the yokai with your body."

for example…

• Kappa Jump → A movement that focuses on the explosive power of the lower body
• Nurarihyon Stretch → Movement to bring out flexibility in the upper body
• Nue Breath → Movement to regulate breathing and core strength

By combining these movements with the backgrounds and personalities of the yokai, a new approach can be conceived that goes beyond simple exercise and instead "moves the body as a story."

Kurozuka Exercise: Madness in Silence

The masterpiece of Noh "Kurozuka" is a dramatic story in which the demon hag of Adachi-ga-hara, Yamauba, reveals her true identity. Kurozuka Exercise was born as a "quiet fitness" idea that incorporates the movements and breathing of the play to gently shake the mind and body.

In the proposed configuration,

• Slowly stand up from a formal sitting position to prepare for the entrance
• Twist your torso and open your arms: “The demon’s stirrings”
• "Revealing one's true identity" by swinging one's hands down
• Rotating and joining hands in prayer "Sublimation and purification"

In this way, we propose movements that combine the gestures of Noh with the narrative qualities of yokai.

Noh, Kyogen, Bon Odori... overlapping with Japanese physical culture

An even greater possibility is the fusion with "the movements of folk performing arts." You will be reminded that the wisdom of the body, such as shuffling, turning the hands, and shifting the center of gravity, can also be used as exercise.

especially,

• Nihonbu and Noh forms → posture and concentration
• Bon Odori → Rhythm and repetitive movements
• Kyogen → Facial expressions and comical movements

Each of them has an affinity with a yokai. For example, Azukiarai has a Kyogen feel, Kurozuka has a Noh feel, and so on.

Conclusion | Towards an era of physical encounters with monsters

Not just for health. A new habit of facing Japanese culture, your body, and yourself through yokai.

The Kurozuka Exercise may, with the help of the spirits, bring about a quiet revolution in our daily lives.

... I was imagining things like that while bouncing ideas off of the AI. I thought that by fusing all kinds of "Japanese movements" with yokai, we could convey the culture in a more interesting way. It seems like there's a possibility.