千秋楽

See also: 千秋樂

Japanese

Kanji in this term
千	秋	楽
せん Grade: 1	しゅう Grade: 2	らく Grade: 2
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
千秋樂 (kyūjitai)

Alternative forms

• (final day of performances): 千穐楽

Etymology

Compound of 千秋(せんしゅう) (senshū, “thousand years, millenium”, literally “thousand autumns”) + 楽(らく) (raku, “comfort, ease”). The noun senses are derived from the gagaku work, which was originally played to mark the enthronement of Emperor Go-Sanjō in the mid-11th century.

The alternative spelling 千穐楽 is mostly used in the context of theatre, due to superstitions based on the kanji 秋 (“autumn”) containing 火 (“fire”); therefore 亀 (“turtle”) was substituted with a more auspicious connotation.

Proper noun

1. a Tang-style 雅楽 (gagaku, “medieval Japanese court music”) written in 盤渉調 (banshiki-chō) with no dancing

   Synonym: 千歳楽 (Senzairaku)

2. the finale of 高砂 (Takasago, a noh play), depicting a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony

See also

• 唐楽(とうがく) (Tō-gaku, “Tang-style gagaku”)

Noun

1. (sumo, theater, etc.) the final day in a set of multi-day performances

   Synonyms: 千歳楽 (senzairaku), 楽 (raku), 楽日 (rakubi)

2. (by extension) a finale; the last or end of something

   Synonym: 終わり (owari)

Descendants

• → English: senshuraku

See also

• 最終(さいしゅう)日(び) (saishūbi, “final day (of an event)”)