新作新内節『アマビエ』Shinnai-bushi “Amabie”

A new shinnai-bushi song created by Okamoto Miya in collaboration with Okamoto Miyanosuke about Amabie, a Japanese legendary figure believed to have stopped epidemics. The video is an excerpt from the performance by OKAMOTO Miyanosuke in July 2020 in Tokyo.

疫病を祓うという妖怪「アマビエ」の言い伝えを元に、新作新内節を作りました。2020年7月に東京で行われた、私の師匠・岡本宮之助による試演の映像がございます。どうぞご覧下さい。皆さまの無事息災をお祈り申し上げます。

岡本宮弥　Okamoto Miya

岡本流新内節　Shinnai-bushi Storyteller　

越後長岡の雪国育ち。岡本文弥の晩年の舞台に触れ、新内節に心酔。その後、縁あってベルギー、カナダ、アメリカを遍歴。2012年、三世・岡本宮之助に入門。ニューヨークと谷中を行き来しながら稽古を続け、2019年6月、岡本宮弥の名を許される。岡本文弥の業績と岡本流新内節の魅力を海外にも広めたいと日々模索中。

2020年、新内節と人形劇のコラボレーションの可能性を探るシリーズ「新内・ミーツ・人形劇」を立ち上げ、ニューヨークの人形師との協同による最初の試み『冬の夜話』（岡本文弥作）はジム・ヘンソン財団の助成を受けて現在進行中。また、ニューヨークのHERE Arts Centreのレジデンス・アーティストとして（高橋幸世、Nekaa Lab名義）、新内節のエッセンスも取り入れた新しい音楽舞台作品「The Emotions （感情）」を製作中。

ニューヨーク、ブルックリン在住。

Born in the snow country of Niigata prefecture in Japan. Witnessing Shinnai-bushi Master Okamoto Bunya’s final years, she became fascinated by this form of storytelling, which uses songs accompanied by shamisen music. She left Japan in 1996, living in Belgium, Canada and the US.

After many adventures around the world (exploring sound and visual composition), in 2012 she became a disciple of Master Okamoto Miyanosuke III. Ever since, she has been learning Shinnai-bushi artistry, traveling between New York and Tokyo.

In 2019, she became a Natori, an accredited master of Okamoto school Shinnai-bushi, and received the stage name Okamoto Miya. She is passionate about introducing the world to the great achievements of the late Grand Master Okamoto Bunya and the charm of Okamoto school Shinnai-bushi.

In 2020, Miya (a.k.a. Sachiyo Takahashi, Nekaa Lab) began a new series, Shinnai Meets Puppetry, inviting local and international puppeteers. Its first repertoire, One Night in Winter, is in the process of creation with the support from The Jim Henson Foundation.

She is currently a resident artist at HERE Arts Centre in New York City developing a new experimental music theatre, The Emotions, in collaboration with Korean instrumentalist gamin.

She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.