A showdown between East and West ointments on the Kamakura Noh stage!?

Top image: Photo by Sosuke Komai

A stage for Kyogen performers living in the 21st century
Vol.1 East vs. West showdown on the Kamakura Noh stage!
Ozo doctrine (Noh performer Kyogen style Ozo school)

Hase, Kamakura City, overlooked by the Kannon statue, is bustling even on weekdays. On weekends and holidays, the number of tourists on Daibutsu Street, which runs from the station to the Great Buddha, is incomparable to that on weekdays.
However, once you turn off the busy street into an alley, you will find a quiet residential area. This is where today's performance will take place, the Kamakura Noh Stage.

The venue seats 200 people. Tatami rooms and chairs are available, and in the front row, you can almost reach out and touch the performers. Not only is there an explanation before the show, but there are subtitles available during the performance, and there is also a Q&A session after the show. I think it is quite rare to see a Noh or Kyogen performance planned with the audience in mind to this extent.

The day was divided into two parts, morning and afternoon. The first part featured the Kyogen play "Koyakuren" and the Noh play "Fuji Taiko." The second part featured the Kyogen play "Jizo Mai" and the Noh play "Hokazo."

"Ointment" is a story about a battle between an ointment maker from the capital and an ointment maker from Kamakura, who compete to see which ointment is stronger. Each person sticks ointment on their nose, and the one who gets pulled loses.
The second part, "Hokazo," is a story of revenge. Kyogen actors must perform not only Kyogen but also Noh plays.

Photography: Komai Sousuke

Although there were no subtitles for the Kyogen performances, chuckles could be heard at key points. The small space helped to reduce the distance between the performers and the audience.
During Noh, some people follow the story while reading the subtitles, nodding along in agreement... This is proof that their understanding is deepening.
The actors' tension reaches a climax in the scene where they plot revenge. You can feel the audience's attention focused on the stage. With the "drugs" and "uh-huh," it felt like we connected at that moment, and it made me very happy.

Photography: Komai Sousuke

The performance ended in the evening. As I stepped out onto Daibutsu Street, I felt the pleasant sea breeze blowing in from Yuigahama Beach. Released from the tension of the performance, I too returned to the present.

A quick peek behind the scenes...

This is the hair oil used for the "ointment." It is an essential item for applying the "ointment" to your nose. Without it, you won't be able to compare the inhalations.

In the dressing room, he is absorbed in applying hair oil to paper.

If it falls off in the middle, it will literally be "useless," so just in case, I repaired it securely with double-sided tape.
This is also one aspect of the Kyogen performer living in the modern era.