But still we live on

The stage for Kyogen performers living in the 21st century
Vol.13 The "core" of tradition and new values
Ozo doctrine (Noh performer Kyogen style Ozo school)

In February, the COVID-19 infection was gradually spreading in Japan. Many events, including those in the sports world, were canceled, and the entertainment world was also canceled or postponed one after another.
From the performance in March to the present, I have only been on stage once. There is no prospect of holding performances until August, but it can't be helped because my job is right in the middle of the "three Cs" advocated by the government. I think that the organizers will have no choice but to cancel the performances, considering the traffic conditions of the customers.
I was also scheduled to perform a self-produced show on May 31st, but I had to cancel it.

"I can not do anything"
"Culture and the arts are powerless..."

I really hate feeling negative like that, so I thought, "Now is the time to do something that I haven't been able to do before!"
It may sound strange, but I was being a bit bullish and thought, "In the current situation, is it acceptable for me to be a little off?"

First, we moved our Kyogen classes online.

Although it is modern, the feeling is solemn.

This was something I undertook at the request of my students, and it was surprisingly fun. Although there are limitations to what we can do, I am exploring ways to practice online that are unique to this format.
Furthermore, it looks like university classes will also be moving online, so in order to be able to teach more effectively, I started collecting various equipment.

It may be a little formal, but it becomes more fun as the amount of equipment increases!

From the right, there are wired and wireless earphones, in the middle a wide-angle lens, on the left a mobile phone stand, and in the foreground a fan. In other words, there are more things to prepare for practice now (laughs).
The students were also happy to be able to use their voices and move their bodies after being under house arrest every day.

Next, taking advantage of the fact that many artists are taking on various challenges on social media, I created and uploaded a hakama challenge and a memorization challenge.

First, here is the "Hakama Challenge" that was published on Twitter. It is a kind of challenge to the students.

While being able to put on a hakama quickly is something that comes naturally to us, it seems to be surprisingly difficult for modern people, and when I posted, "If you have a hakama at home, try this lol," I received an unexpected response.

I would encourage children to try the "Memorization Challenge." There are a lot of fish names in the game, so people who like fishing should also enjoy it.
[Can you remember "The Fish Sermon"?]

I want people to see my work, to be happy, and to be of use to others. I think that's where my work originates.

So what will happen to the entertainment industry, theater and music industry after this? If it's difficult to gather together, will we naturally move towards video distribution?

There were many performing arts around the time that Noh and Kyogen were born. It developed by incorporating various genres, and over the long period of time, it was selected and elevated to a first-class art form. However, with the Meiji Restoration, it lost its support from the shogunate and became a part of the common people. During wartime, "laughing" was banned, but it has continued to be passed down despite overcoming various hardships. Perhaps we must face the hardships that lie before us now with new values, while still holding on to the "core" of tradition.

We cannot let the light of this inherited heart be extinguished now.
Culture and the arts are essential for people to survive.