This year's "Tabumine Danzan Noh" was held outdoors for the first time.
A Noh stage was built in the Kemari Garden.

At Tanzan Shrine in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, Noh performances are dedicated from spring to early summer. Although it is a new Noh performance that has been held every year since 24 and has been named Tomine Tanzan Noh, it has a special meaning for it to be performed here. This is because Tommine may be the place where the old man was born (see the first part).

In ``Tabumine Tanzan Noh'', ``Okina'', which uses the ``Madara God Mask'' handed down at Tanzan Shrine, is performed under the supervision of Kiyokazu Kanze, the 26th head of Kanze. It has been performed with. In the first place, the play ``Okina'' is said to be ``Noh, but not Noh,'' and it retains the form of an old performing art that predated Noh. There is no real story behind it, but rather it is a celebratory performance in which an old man prays for ``peace and peace in the country''.

This year's ``Tabumine Danzan Noh'' will be held outdoors for the first time. A Noh stage was built in the Kemari Garden. Modern Noh stages are often held indoors, but originally they were performed outdoors. The fact that the indoor Noh stage has a roof is a remnant of this. There is a hallway called Hashigakari in the lower part (to the left when viewed from the audience seats), through which the actors appear. Behind it is a raised curtain. The curtain on that day was made of white hemp cloth provided by Shinichiro Yoshida of the hemp cloth maker majotae, giving it a rustic yet noble feel.

Before the ``old man'' begins, a Shinto priest performs a purification ritual. A prayer of worship is given, and this is accompanied by the sound of flutes, drums, and drums. Its multi-layered sound makes you feel special.

Once the investigation is complete, a flint is used to light a fire from the curtain to the stage to purify the stage. Fires are also cut in the dressing room, and everything is purified. Behind the curtain, in front of an altar enshrining an old man's mask, all the performers partake of sacred sake and washed rice, and perform a ritual to purify themselves. In order to play the role of an old man, the shite performs a ritual known as bekka, in which he eats and bathes separately from his family.

The last ``old man'' dedicated in the Heisei era was Kiyokazu Kanze and his son Saburota.
It was a luxurious stage performance by Mansai Nomura and Yuki Nomura.

The Noh performance has finally begun. The menbako (menbako) is in the lead, followed by the old man, senzai (senzai), and sanbaso (sanbaso) actors, followed by the musical accompaniment. Menbako carries a box containing an old man's mask, and the shite who plays the old man appears on stage without wearing a mask.

A flute sounds and a small drum begins to play. As far as ``old men'' are concerned, there are three kotsuzumi (three people). The old man chants a mantra, ``Finally tarari tararira.'' I don't know the meaning of this word. There are several theories, including ``Gagaku flute music'' and ``Sanskrit'' theory.

Next, Chitose performs a dew-warriing dance, and the old man hangs his mask. Here, the Noh performer transforms into an old man and performs the old man dance, praying for peace and peace in the country. After the old man and Chitose leave, Sanbaso dances. Sanbaso is played by Kyogen actors. The first dance is a dynamic dance called ``Momi-no-dan.'' They chanted, clapped loudly, and at one point jumped up. The audience is drawn to Sanbaso's energy.

When the dance is over, Sanbaso puts on a black mask called kokushikijo, receives a bell after a question and answer session with the mask box, and dances the ``bell stage.'' It is said that ``Ran no dan'' is a dance of purification, and ``Suzu no dan'' is a dance of blessing. Eventually, Sanbaso puts the mask and bell in the box and leaves the theater with the mask.

The last dedication of the Heisei era, ``Okina'' was a gorgeous stage performance by Kiyokazu Kanze, father and son Saburota, Mansai Nomura and father and son Yuki.

The next dedication was ``Hyakuman,'' with Kuroemon Katayama serving as the shite. Her mother, who became insane after being separated from her child, is reunited with her child through the blessings of the gods and Buddha, and returns from Kyoto to Nara. Before the performance, there is a gongyo performed by the chief priest of the nearby Shorinji Temple, which is known for the national treasure Eleven-faced Kanzeon, and the Kannon sutra and Noh music are harmoniously performed in the garden of Kemari. It was filling up.

[old man]
Old man Kiyokazu Kanze
Chitose Saburota Kanze
Sanbaso Mansai Nomura
Mask Box Hiroki Nomura
Guardianship Bunzo Otsuki Takanobu Sakaguchi
Kyogen Guardianship Hiroji Fukada Taichiro Nomura
Flute Manabu Takeichi
Kotsuzumi Genjiro Okura Kensaku Araki Keisuke Shimizu
Big drum Hirotada Kamei
Taiko Keisuke Inoue
Chiuta Gensho Umewaka, Masamichi Yamazaki, Gen Allyori, Kosuke Terasawa, Yasuyuki Taketomi, Soichiro Hayashi, Kohei Kawaguchi, Yuichi Otsuki

【a million】
Million Kuroemon Katayama
Ayako Hayashi
Village man Tomoto Fukuo
The person in front of the Shakado gate Taichiro Nomura
Guardianship Ally Gen Soichiro Hayashi
Flute Manabu Takeichi
Kotsuzumi Ichiro Yoshizaka
Otsuzumi Tetsuya Yamamoto
Taiko Keisuke Inoue
Local songs Bunzo Otsuki, Sadatomo Akamatsu, Masamichi Yamazaki, Kosuke Terasawa, Yasuyuki Taketomi, Takanobu Sakaguchi, Yoshihiro Umeda, Yuichi Otsuki

(Titles omitted)

Tomomine Danzan Noh
It is held every spring. It was held on April 31th in 2019.
The date for 2 has not yet been determined.
Past records can be viewed at the following website.
http://ren-produce.com/tanzan-noh.html

Tanzan Jinja
319 Tomamine, Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture
Get off at Sakurai Station on the Kintetsu Osaka Line/JR Sakurai Line
Approximately 25 minutes from the south exit of Sakurai Station by bus bound for Tanzan Shrine or Tomomine.
About 20 minutes by taxi
http://www.tanzan.or.jp/

→Click here to watch the treasure of Noh at Tanzan Shrine in Nara (Part 1)