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Kanta Nakamori x Mansai Nomura “Fun to know! The world of Noh and Kyogen” ~Part 1~

中森貫太×野村萬斎「知って楽しい!能・狂言の世界」〜前編〜

Kanta Nakamori installs a special monitor on the Noh stage and performs Noh while showing Japanese and English subtitles. Mansai Nomura is active in expressing himself across genres, such as performing Shakespeare in a Kyogen style and dancing to contemporary music. The two recently finished performing together at the "Knowing Noh Meeting" held at the Yokohama Noh Theater, and we spoke with them about the appeal of Japan's traditional performing arts, Noh and Kyogen, as well as their future activities.
In the first part, we ask about his thoughts on trying new things that appeal to modern audiences while preserving the traditions of Noh and Kyogen.

The Nakamori Kamakura Noh Stage uses subtitles because we want first-time viewers and visitors from overseas to enjoy Noh even more.
Today, only a minority of people know the story and conventions of Noh, so some help is needed to enjoy the performance. However, if you subtitle everything such as the meaning of the movements and dialogue, the audience will be too busy reading the subtitles and will not have time to watch the performance. We want our customers to use their imagination to enjoy the world unfolding on stage, so subtitles are only an aid. Although it is still in the experimental stage, we would like to exchange opinions with the team that is researching earphone guides and provide even better products.

The dialogue in Nomura Kyogen is written in a colloquial style, so even if it's an archaic language, it's easy to understand. However, there are some words that cannot be understood just by hearing them, so we include a dictionary function in our pamphlets for performances we host. For example, "bumo". It literally means "parents," so if you check it in advance, you can understand it without reading subtitles. I would like to make it possible for viewers to choose the method that will be most enjoyable for them.

NakamoriI think that in modern Japan, many people have the impression that Noh is ``difficult'' and ``uninteresting.'' We also visit schools, but most of the teachers and students' parents have never seen a Noh performance. Given this situation, the first thing we need to do is get people interested in Noh. I will continue to actively visit schools, and I believe that viewing support such as subtitles is also necessary.
However, if you change the stage to make it easier to understand, it will no longer be Noh. We are looking for a way to make it understandable to everyone while maintaining the traditional format.

If you change the recipe for Nomura cuisine, it becomes something completely different, and the same is true for Noh and Kyogen. While cherishing the traditional ``Noh theater'' setting, he sometimes ventures out into facilities such as schools and open-air spaces such as Takigi Noh. Even in such cases, it is important to follow the recipe and enjoy the food.
However, there is a dilemma in that the words used in the classical world are as incomprehensible as foreign languages, even though they are Japanese. In this regard, the Noh and Kyogen worlds are also experimenting with trial and error, such as adding subtitles and changing presentation methods, so I encourage you to visit a Noh theater and experience it for yourself.

Nomura : I am also trying to collaborate with other genres, but this is only possible if I can find a connection with the world of Kyogen.
For example, I once danced to the music of contemporary composer John Cage, who created music based on the world of natural phenomena such as the sound of the wind and the color of the sky, which is exactly the world of Noh and Kyogen. Also, when performing Shakespeare in the style of Kyogen, "medieval" is a common denominator. Existences beyond human comprehension, great power to be feared, and fear of God are also themes of Kyogen, so it can be performed easily.
So, if you ask me, "Do you dance to disco sounds?", what do you think? I'm not saying it can't be done, but I wonder if we don't have to dance to digital rhythms. I don't think there's anything that can't be done, but if you do that, the beauty of Kyogen will be lost. I think the point is whether there is something underlying it that is connected to Kyogen.
I have performed with the Nakamori Orchestra, but I felt that there was a compromise between us dancing to the orchestra and the orchestra playing Noh background music. It would be a different story if you took the time and budget to write an original song, but collaboration is difficult.

I also choreographed ``Bolero'' with Nomura Ballet music, and I was able to do that because it has something in common with the Kyogen dance ``Sanbaso''. The important thing is to find commonalities between the two and connect them. If the customer is not satisfied with the connection, they will be told that it is strange.

Nomura Kyogen often begins with the line, ``I'm from around here.'' They don't even give their names, and regardless of whether they're the emperor or someone else, regardless of their status, they're all ``people from around here''. I think this idea is the complete opposite of Noh.

Nakamori : That's right. Noh developed as a religious drama, and its basic idea is to respect God, Buddha, and the Emperor.

Nomura Kyogen depicts a reversal of the phenomenon. The master, who is supposed to be great, fails, and the servant, Tarokaja, is smarter than him. Even in husband and wife relationships, sometimes the man is lazy and the woman is more reliable.
In the world of Kyogen, criticism is gained by thinking, ``If you look at the world from a bird's-eye view, even the people who are arrogant are from around here.'' If you look at human life critically, you can laugh at it and think, ``What humans do is nothing special,'' and you can feel catharsis in that. I may not be a good person in a world where I'm not a good person, but I think, ``Well, that's the way it is.'' I think this is where Kyogen's ``removal'' effect lies.
*Kyogen “Kakure Tanuki” Photography by Shinji Masakawa

Nakamori : I don't think there's just one way to perform even a single song. There are many different productions and different ways of expression depending on how you think about it, so it's fun to choose your own. For example, you can transform into a young woman or an old woman just by choosing a Noh mask, so you can freely create the performance according to your imagination. It may be similar to the feeling of filming a movie. One of my joys is creating songs for our customers to enjoy freely.
It is also our job to cultivate customers who find our work interesting. Instead of feeling like you've learned your lesson just by watching it once, you can go to the Noh theater many times and enjoy watching different people perform and thinking, ``That's what that person was like'' and ``This is what this person is like.'' direction. We believe it is important to cultivate customers who can enjoy the same ingredient in a variety of flavors.

*You can read the second part here>>

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