[Special Contribution] Why not visit the fascinating Noh stage?
[Special Contribution]
Why not visit a Noh stage, a place full of charm?
Kanta Nakamori (Noh performer/Kanze school Shite actor, Director of the Kamakura Noh Stage Foundation, holder of comprehensive certification as an Important Intangible Cultural Property)
Noh is generally considered "difficult to understand and boring," but in the Muromachi period, it was something that ordinary people watched and enjoyed in the precincts of shrines and temples.
As a result of the then-Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu becoming a patron and the art form becoming a favorite among samurai, it became distant from the common people.
Then, with the end of the Edo period and the arrival of the Meiji era, opportunities for the general public to see these plays increased, but the impression of them being "difficult to understand" for first-time viewers became firmly established.
However, if you understand the storyline and the meaning of the movements, Noh is a fascinating and interesting form of theater.
At the Kamakura Noh Theatre, we provide an explanation at the beginning so that even first-time viewers can enjoy the performance. During the performance, we provide easy-to-understand modern Japanese translations and English subtitles for the "utai" (chanting). By projecting these subtitles onto monitors installed in three locations throughout the theatre, we are able to present Noh performances that are easily accessible to the public.
From the stage and script to the Noh masks, costumes, instruments, direction, composition, forms, vocalization, and pronunciation, you can feel the accumulation of 700 years of history and glimpse the spirit of ancient times in Noh, a classical Japanese performing art. Please enjoy it at the "Noh Appreciation Society" event.
(Stage photos: Kanta Nakamori, Photography: Sosuke Komai)
*Unauthorized reproduction and use are prohibited.
