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授導 - Guidance
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當道音樂會徽章 =当道音楽会徽章 - Tōdō Music Association Badge
Biwa hōshi (琵琶法師), also known as "lute priests", were travelling performers in the era of Japanese history preceding the Meiji period. They earned their income by reciting vocal literature to the accompaniment of biwa music. Biwa hōshi were mostly blind, and adopted the shaved heads and robes common to Buddhist monks. who played the heike-biwa /Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling/ to accompany their songs about legends, wars, histories, and mythologies. Eventually, hōshi referred to non-blind and blind performers and was also used as a suffix to a series of other types of people, such as dancing musicians, Chinese-style entertainers, outcast artists, and men from Sanjō or men from temporary quarters.
Tōdō (当道) was a self-governing guild of biwa hōshi. The Tōdō received income in two ways: patronage from the Kyoto aristocracy and military, and its monopoly over the teaching and transmission of heikyoku. To be accepted as a disciple, an aspiring student would have to pay a fee, after which the study of each new piece of music required payment. With the Meiji Restoration, the Tōdō "system", which had been officially recognized by the Edo Shogunate, was abolished, but in 1905, the Todo Music Association /当道音楽会/ was founded by Kikuhara Kinji. It is still active today https://todo-ongakukai.jp/.
Tōdō (当道) was a self-governing guild of biwa hōshi. The Tōdō received income in two ways: patronage from the Kyoto aristocracy and military, and its monopoly over the teaching and transmission of heikyoku. To be accepted as a disciple, an aspiring student would have to pay a fee, after which the study of each new piece of music required payment. With the Meiji Restoration, the Tōdō "system", which had been officially recognized by the Edo Shogunate, was abolished, but in 1905, the Todo Music Association /当道音楽会/ was founded by Kikuhara Kinji. It is still active today https://todo-ongakukai.jp/.