person in charge of music (Japanese dance)
Refers to the musician or music director in traditional Japanese dance performances, distinct from the dancers (立方, たちかた).
See also: 立方 (たちかた)
In Japanese dance, the jikata supports the performance with shamisen and singing.
ballad singer (noh)
In noh theater, the jikata are the seated chorus and musicians who sing the narrative ballads and provide instrumental accompaniment.
In noh, the jikata are responsible for the utai (chanting) and narrate the story.
coast (as seen from the water); shore
Used especially from the perspective of someone on a boat or ship, looking toward the land. Less common than 海岸 (かいがん) in everyday speech.
Looking at the coast from the boat, we could see a small fishing village.
the country; countryside; rural area
Archaic term for rural areas or provinces, now largely replaced by 田舎 (いなか) or 地方 (ちほう). Found in historical texts.
Documents from the Edo period describe life in the countryside in detail.
地方 (じかた) describes the shore as seen from a boat and is rare, while 海岸 is the common, general word for 'coast' or 'seashore'.
Written identically, 地方 read じかた is the specialized term for performers/coast/countryside, while 地方 read ちほう is the everyday word for 'region' or 'locality'.
Used for the person themselves; the gloss indicates a role, but counting people is the natural choice here.
The reading じかた is a specialized kun'yomi compound of 地 (ground, place) and 方 (direction, person). The derivation of the theatrical senses is uncertain, but they likely developed from the idea of 'the side that stays in place' (musicians) as opposed to the moving dancers.