Aikata used in a Tachimawari scene from “Nanso Satomi Hakkenden”. Onoe Kikugoro 7th as Inuzuka Shino. April, 1991 at the National Theatre.
It has mainly two meanings. First, it refers to a piece performed by the Shamisen as part of the Geza music to create the atmosphere during characters’ entrance and exit, and the curtain’s opening and closing.
In this video of a Tachimawari scene, you can hear an Aikata piece of a slower tempo used to accompany the stylistic movement.
Secondly, it is a long musical interlude accompanied by the Shamisen and other instruments. Compared with “Ainote”, a shorter interlude, “Aikata” has longer and more stand-alone content, which is an important highlight in Nagauta.
