Roppo is the dramatic technique that symbolically expresses aspects of the character's walking or running by exaggerating the movements of hands and feet.
Roppo is mainly done by Aragoto characters exiting on the Hanamichi. Roppo gives a strong impression of the power and roughness of the Aragoto character.
Roppo is mainly done by Aragoto characters exiting on the Hanamichi. Roppo gives a strong impression of the power and roughness of the Aragoto character.
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The image shows the Roppo in the Makugire (end of act) of "Narukami." This Roppo symbolically expresses the fact that Narukami Shonin has realized that he was tricked by Kumonotaema-no-hime, and shows his explosive anger as he runs after her.
There are various kinds of Roppo. Sato Tadanobu (actually Genkurogitsune [fox]) in the scene commonly called 'Torii mae' from "Yoshitsune sembonzakura," exits on the Hanamichi while doing Kitsune-roppo in which the gestures of a fox are shown from moment to moment, interspersed with splendid Aragoto movements. Also, the keisei (courtesan) Ukifunedayu (actually the thief Kesataro) in "Miyajima no dammari" shows a unique Keisei-roppo in which hand movements are big like those of a male thief, and the foot movements are those of a courtesan. Among various other types of Roppo, the Tobiroppo performed by Benkei in "Kanjincho" is famous. |
![Roppo Narukami Shonin, played by Ichikawa Danjuro 12th, "Narukami fudo kitayamazakura" 'Kitayama iwaya' scene ["Narukami"] January 1996](images/img_4_04_04-01.jpg)  < RealPlayer : 2.8MB >
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<Major repertoire items in which Roppo is performed>
| > "Kanjincho" |
| > "Sugawara denju tenarai kagami" | |
| Common name 'Kurumabiki' scene | |
| > "Narukami" |
| • " Miyajima no dammari" |
| > "Yoshitsune sembonzakura" | |
| Common name 'Torii mae' scene | |
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