Today I'd like to talk about Noh.

Noh is a 650-year-old form of theater that combines drama, dance, song, and instrumental music. It was registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2008, and has attracted worldwide attention.

Initially, it had a strong entertainment element, such as acrobatic performances, but a major turning point came around the beginning of the 14th century, when Kan'ami and his son Ze'ami, who were Noh actors and organizers of Noh theater companies, perfected the form of Noh.

Since the 14th century, it has been carefully nurtured under the patronage of samurai.

Have you ever seen the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning TV drama series "Shogun"?

Yoshii Toranaga, played by Sanada Hiroyuki, is modeled after Tokugawa Ieyasu, a samurai who ruled over all of Japan. Ieyasu was a samurai who loved Noh very much.

Ieyasu made it a rule that Noh performances and viewings were held at official banquets for the samurai. For the noble samurai, Noh was an important cultural asset.

Akira Kurosawa, a great film director that Japan is proud of around the world, was one of those who was fascinated by Noh.

His representative work, "The Throne of Blood," is based on Shakespeare's "Macbeth," but is set in Japan and portrayed in the style of Noh.

Kurosawa has captured the atmosphere of Noh and brought it to life in this film.

Another great film director, Ozu Yasujiro, also loved Noh and depicted it in a play within a play in his film "Late Spring." You can see the beautiful profile of the leading actress, Hara Setsuko, gazing at the Noh stage.

Noh is beloved by Japan's cultural icons, but when the master of modern architecture, Le Corbusier, visited Japan in 1955, he was recorded as disgusted by the fact that Noh was always included in every stop in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Unlike in Ieyasu's time, there are fewer people familiar with Noh in modern Japan. In this fast-paced modern world, the slow pace of Noh and the mysterious and difficult atmosphere of Noh may be what discourages many people from viewing it.

However, there are many people who are touched and fascinated by the portrayal of human hearts that remain unchanged for hundreds of years and the way people live amid the absurdities that occur in life, as depicted in Noh.

Whether you find Noh disgusting like Le Corbusier, or fascinated like Ieyasu and Kurosawa, knowing what kind of art Noh is will at least keep you from becoming disgusted.

It is impossible to discuss everything about Noh here, but we will provide you with the basic information you should know.

We also provide guidebooks written in English.

What is Noh?: A 650-year-old musical and dance drama

Noh is a 650-year-old form of theatre that combines drama, dance, song and instrumental music.

Another distinctive feature of Noh is that the actors wear masks. Noh masks are called omote (masks) and are worn according to the role.

It is said that there are about 250 different types of masks, with about 50 basic types. The masks have no facial expressions, but the emotions they convey depend on the skill of the performer.

For example, it is said that the same mask can express different emotions depending on the angle at which it catches the light.

Noh actors are divided into two groups: shite, who plays the main character, and waki, who plays the role of the shite's partner. Waki ​​are monks who live in the real world, while shite, the main character, is often a non-human entity that transcends dimensions, such as a ghost or spirit. The main character, shite, wears a mask and recites and dances.

The stage is made up of musical ensembles such as Hayashikata (musicians) and Jiutai (churchers).

The story moves at a surprisingly slow pace and the lack of a stage set may leave you confused.

What is Noh?: Noh depicts the tragedies that occur in life. Kyogen as comic relief. The two are seen together

So what kind of stories are performed in Noh? Most of them are tragedies. They often depict the absurdity of things that happen in life.

For example, "Sumidagawa" depicts a half-crazed mother who travels a long way to search for her kidnapped child, "Tooru" depicts the ghost of a prince who met a tragic end, and "Hannyo" depicts a prostitute who goes mad because she cannot be seen by her beloved lover.

But isn't that the same with Greek tragedies? I think there are many tragic stories in operas as well.

Don't worry, not all of the works have a heavy atmosphere.

In fact, it is not the case that you only watch Noh.

You can watch Noh and then Kyogen (a type of play), or vice versa, but you can watch both together. In Japan, Noh and Kyogen are collectively called Nougaku (Noh theatre).

Kyogen, simply explained, is a comedy that focuses on dialogue.

While most Noh plays are tragic and full of tense moments, Kyogen plays portray the universal antics of human nature. Kyogen is also performed without masks.

It could be said that the tragic nature of Noh plays stands out precisely because of the comic relief provided by Kyogen.

Perhaps this is suggesting that life is a place where there are no rules, and where absurd tragedies and comedies are bound to occur.

What is Noh?: The structure of a Noh stage

The Noh stage has a different style from a regular theater.

First of all, the design of the stage is unique. It is distinctive that it has a roof. Before 1868 (during the Edo period when the samurai still ruled Japan), all Noh stages were outdoors. The roof is a vestige of that.

After the samurai rule ended in 1868 and Japan's political system was modernized during the Meiji period, a Noh stage was housed inside the theater.

It has no curtain, and the stage juts out far into the audience. Another unique feature is the existence of a second stage called a hashigakari (bridge), which also serves as a passageway connecting the dressing room and the stage.

Noh plays do not have curtains, so when the musicians, chorus singers, and other performers appear on stage, it is a sign that the performance is about to begin.

The painting in the center of the stage is always a pine tree. This is called kagamiita (mirror panel).

The story unfolds on this simply structured stage.

For example, the setting may be in the mountains where travelers go, or by a river where a mother grieves over her child being kidnapped, or in an abandoned house where a nobleman once lived, but there are no stage sets.

The story unfolds on an extremely simple stage.

There is no stage set, but as the audience listens to the performances, dances, and chants of the Noh actors, their minds are transported to a faraway place, and they can picture the scene in their minds.

In this way, much of the literature and theater created by the Japanese makes full use of the imagination.

What is Noh?: The history of Noh

The origins of Noh date back to the 700s, when Sangaku, which has a strong entertainment element such as comical acts, impersonations, acrobatic tricks and magic, and Gagaku, which features more formal dance and music, were brought to Japan from China.

The prototype of Noh was created by fusing elements of these folk performing arts, Shinto rituals, dance, and songs. Kyogen also has the same roots as Noh.

Noh began to develop significantly during the Muromachi period, around the 14th century, when Kan'ami and his son Ze'ami perfected the form of Noh.

In particular, his son Zeami established a new style of Noh called Mugen Noh (Dreamy Noh).

Mugen Noh has a clear structure. It goes something like this:

In most plays, the Waki ​​character plays a traveling monk who meets people at his destination and hears stories about the place and the person's life story.

It turns out that the person in question is actually a god or spirit of the land, or a ghost who passed away with regrets. This role is played by the shite.

A traveling monk hears their story, prays for them, calms their souls, and provides guidance to them at the end.

Prior to Zeami, Noh plays were performed in a style known as Genzai Noh, in which all the characters were real people. However, in Mugen Noh, unrealistic gods, spirits and ghosts appear, and the story can be told in chronological order, making it possible to leave a fantastical impression on the audience.

Another notable feature of the play is the incorporation of a gorgeous dance by the shite from the middle of the story towards the climax.

Of the approximately 250 Noh plays currently being performed, about 50 were written by Zeami, accounting for roughly 20% of the total, which gives an idea of ​​the magnitude of his achievements.

What I've said so far is just basic knowledge.

However, if someone were to invite you to a Noh theater, you'll be able to have some small talk using the basic knowledge you've gained here.

A guide to seeing and learning about Noh

Choose a performance that has an English audio guide or subtitles, and read the summary of the content beforehand. If you know the plot, you can enter the world of Noh, rather than just following the audio guide or subtitles.

Be sure to check the timetable as well. Kyogen performances are usually about 30 minutes long, with a 20-minute interval, and Noh performances are usually about an hour long.

It may be difficult to fully understand, but the tragedies and comedies that occur in human life are universal and have not changed from ancient times to the present. If you understand the plot and the setting, you should be able to get into the story.

References: Enjoying Noh and Kyogen, THE NOHGAKU PERFORMER'S ASSOCIATION

[About Madame Watanabe]
A mysterious Japanese woman with a deep knowledge of Japanese culture. By the way, she has no relation to Mrs. Watanabe, the group of small-scale investors from Japan who appear in Western stock markets.