How did Spanish flamenco get so popular in Japan?

Fanning the Flame

How did a traditional Spanish dance find its second home in Japan? Historically and culturally, these two countries do not seem to have many similarities, yet flamenco has brought them closer. So much so, that flamenco calls Japan its second home and there are more flamenco schools in Tokyo than in the whole of Spain!

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But what is flamenco?

To the untrained eye, flamenco may seem like a lot of feet stomping and arm waving (often while holding a fan), but to those who practice it, it is an art. Full of passion and feelings, flamenco is known for bringing out the emotions of its dancers, singers and musicians.

Flamenco is a fairly young form of artistic expression. It can be traced back to the southern, Andalusian region of Spain in the 18th century, and brings together many of the different influences Spanish culture has seen over its long and turbulent history.

Spain as a nation did not exist until the 15th century. Before then, its territories belonged to a host of small kingdoms, Christian and Muslim alike. Spain was consolidated under Christian rule in 1492, yet many of its multicultural roots remain. Flamenco is one such legacy. It combines gypsy, Arabic, Jewish, and Christian influences. Some say there are also traces of African or Caribbean cultures, particularly in its dance, though it is often linked most closely to gypsy origins.

Originally, flamenco was a form of folkloric singing, with dancing and instrumental - guitar for the most part - appearing later. Indeed, it is still a developing art. Where 60 years ago footwork was rarely seen in its dances, it is now an essential part of most routines.

Today, flamenco can be seen in “Tablaos” across the globe, with artists from many backgrounds and nationalities. Many of the best-known artists are still Spanish: Sara Baras, Antonio Canales, Cristina Hoyos, etc. Yet to those involved in the world of flamenco, Japanese names can be almost as common.

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Flamenco in Japan

Flamenco saw its debut in Japan in the 1920s through Spanish films such as El amor brujo and Andalucía. Furthermore, the success of Antonia Mercé, stage name “La Argentina”, the first Spanish dancer to perform in Japan, inspired many to take up the dance. However, it wasn’t until the 50s and 60s, when the Japanese economy started taking off, that flamenco became more well-known in the nation. Many Japanese flamenco dancers, such as Kojima Shoji and Komatsubara Yoko, travelled to Spain to learn the art, later opening their own flamenco schools in Japan.

By the 70s and 80s, flamenco had become a household name in Japan, and it remains so to this day. In 2005, the Spanish magazine Paseo estimated that Japan had more than 80,000 Flamenco students in over 300 academies across the country. And in 2007, the Cervantes Institute, an organisation that aims to promote Spanish and Spanish speaking cultures, opened its biggest international headquarters in Tokyo.

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Is there an explanation?

We can only speculate, and speculate we have, as to why a traditional Spanish dance has had such impact in a culture so far away from its native home. During an interview, and referring to this very topic, Ms Komatsubara once stated “I don’t know, flamenco continues to be something mysterious for me”.

Yet some hypothesise that Japanese people find similarities between flamenco’s songs and traditional Japanese dance and music. Others believe that this interest is rooted in the differences between these two countries. Japan has long been regarded as a country which relies heavily on restraint and restriction in most aspects of life. Flamenco, on the other hand, brings out the deepest and most vulnerable feelings, it is all about passion and emotion. To many Japanese artists, flamenco is an outlet, a place where they can be themselves without reservation.

Speaking to the Canadian-Japanese flamenco dancer Ms Aramaki Nanako, it was the intricacies of the dance which led her to choose it above other dance styles she learned as a child. The ever-evolving style, the new challenges it brings each day, and the growth she continually sees, make flamenco unique in her eyes. She has danced in North America, Europe and Japan, and taught flamenco to students almost everywhere she has lived, but still remarks on how much she has yet to learn. Ms Aramaki sees flamenco not as an art you master, but one of perpetual learning, one which a lifetime of experiences and feelings helps you develop.