The Linguist

@Linguist_CIOL AUGUST/SEPTEMBER The Linguist 11 MULTILINGUAL TV Tokugawa Musei (䕿૝ 䄬्) is one of Japan's greatest narrative artists. He began his career as a benshi (୐ॊ), or silent film narrator, where he not only perfected silent film narration (setsumei; 抍ก), but also played an integral role in developing a new form of comedic storytelling called mandan (ᄓ抨). Moreover, his work on early radio and television affected the style and sound of radio broadcasters and television announcers to the point where his influence can be discerned today. Consequently, Musei ranks as one of the most influential performers of 20th-century Japan. Born Fukuhara Toshio in 1894, Musei was a talented storyteller even as a child. Entertainers at the time were generally scorned, so his father suggested that he work as a benshi, since they did not have to show their faces. His father had forgotten – or did not realise – that benshi provided maesetsu (introductory remarks) on lit stages before they drifted off to the shadows. In 1913, Musei became an apprentice of benshi Shimizu Reizan and within two years he was working at the Aoikan theatre. It was there that he assumed the name by which he would be known for the rest of his life. He took on the name because he had a 'dream voice', the meaning of the kanji for 'Musei'. Benshi interpreted the intertitles on silent films, voiced the characters and provided general commentary. Musei specialised in providing setsumei for foreign films such as the German Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. Though they were often provided with a translated synopsis, how much of the foreign film intertitles a benshi actually understood is unclear. Jeffrey Dym celebrates the life of Tokugawa Musei, influential benshi (silent film narrator) and storyteller, on the 50th anniversary of his death The trailblazers A good benshi was a faithful commentator; he did not exaggerate or mislead audiences. He let the audience enjoy the film, without his setsumei impinging upon them. Musei put it this way: "When I perform, I separate myself from my ego, and from the hidden shadows of the picture I speak as if I were actually the movie talking. In other words, I do not think that I am a setsumeisha giving setsumei." To accomplish this feat, a benshi had to prepare, and to ensure that what he wanted to say fit into the time allotted, he had to possess a firm understanding of the plot and themes of the movie, as well as of the details of the passing scenes. He had to understand thoroughly the mood and tempo of the film. Musei played an integral role in the development of a new form of oral comedy known as mandan, which emerged from the private backstage performing that took place during the frequent power failures at the Konparukan theatre. In the early 1930s, talking pictures emerged and benshi started to lose their jobs as theatres wired for sound. Musei branched out into other activities, such as working on the radio and acting in movies. He became a renowned radio personality and won numerous awards, including the Hs bunka sh (Cultural Broadcast Award). Between 1932 and 1969 he appeared in 52 movies. He also published over 50 books and hundreds of articles. Because of his writing ability, news agencies often asked Musei to report on current events. He went to England to report on the coronations of both King George and Queen Elizabeth. From 1951, he published a weekly 'transcript' of an interview with a politician, businessman, actor, athlete or other celebrity. Tokugawa Musei died on 1 August 1971 at the age of 77. He must be considered one of Japan's greatest narrative artists and his influence can still be felt today. Jeffrey A Dym is Professor of History at Sacramento State. His research on Tokugawa Musei is published in In Praise of Film Studies.

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