"Recommendation for Noh and Kyogen" - Yuichi Kinoshita (Kinoshita Kabuki)

Now you can quickly understand both the history and the charm!
A special conversation between "Noh" and "Kyogen"!

Text: Yuichi Kinoshita

I was given a heavy request to explain the history and appeal of Noh and Kyogen in an easy-to-understand way, and wondered what to do. I was so exhausted that I thought I might as well just invite both Noh and Kyogen artists to speak frankly, and set up a discussion. Fortunately, both of them readily agreed, and we had a lively conversation. I would like to share with you the details of that discussion.

Since both of them lived long lives spanning hundreds of years, the stories get complicated in places. I have added annotations here and there to help you read, so I hope you will enjoy them too.

Who are the origins of "Noh" and "Kyogen"?

Noh: We are brothers.

Kyogen , that's right, twins at that. Right, big brother?

Yes , but I don't know for sure when I was born. There are various theories... I became aware of things during the Muromachi period *1 , so roughly 600 years have passed since then.

Of course, in Kyogen , he had been alive before that, and all we know is that he has been alive for a very long time.

Our mother ※2 , who is unfortunately no longer with us, seems to have been around from an even earlier time. After all, she knew about the Nara period.

Kyogen is so old!

Nomo was not originally Japanese. Apparently, she came all the way from mainland China during the Nara period. *3

Kyogen must have been hard work, Mom...

No , that's not the case. Apparently, he was welcomed by the whole nation in Japan. He also played an active role in the national ceremony for the consecration of the Great Buddha's eyes. *4 It's like participating in the opening ceremony of the Olympics in modern terms. In any case, he was very much loved by nobles and people in power. *5

Kyogen was a very lively person. She was good at singing and dancing, and loved to make people laugh. She was also good at magic tricks, and was a pro at acrobatics. She was truly a "super mother" *6 !

Even in Noh , he gradually became friendly with the common people. Maybe he was too lively and was disliked by the "noble people" ※7 ? Well, he was originally a commoner.

Kyogen: Was that around that time? When did you meet your father?

I don't know much about it , but that may be the case. I wonder if he was thinking about settling down after his "gorgeous bachelorhood" ended.

I don't remember much about Kyogen Dad... *8

Noh : I don't really know what kind of person he was. I think he was Japanese. I imagine he was probably a simple person. There are also rumors that he had several fathers... His mother was a very flashy person.

KyogenOur family life is complicated...

And so Noh and we were born! In the beginning, we were one body, at least in the Heian period. We were called "Sarugaku" and we were two in one.

Kyogen , that gradually diverged. My brother has always been a serious person, and is good at singing and dancing. I like to make people laugh, and I'm also rather a cynical type of person...

He's a bit cynical, after all (laughs).

Because it's Kyogen , we gradually began to separate the roles. *10 This helps the relationship go more smoothly. But it's interesting that even though we're twins, our personalities are so different.

Noh : Actually, did you know that there's a theory that we're not twins, we're not related by blood, in other words we're complete strangers?

Talk crazy !!! What is that, I've never heard of it before!

Rumor has it that No-kun was originally born in the countryside and that his mother was adopted. *11

What a shock ! I always thought he was the older twin brother... Stop it, you suddenly made such a bombshell statement!

I don't know if this is true or not, but we've always been brothers, so it doesn't really matter. We've always been good friends. We're living apart now for various reasons, but we lived together for a long time, and we always acted together up until the Edo period. *12

After their time as salarymen, they each began to look for new opportunities to thrive...

Speaking of the Edo period, at that time we were all living the life of office workers. *13

Noh: My life was very stable back then, but looking back now, it was quite stiff.

Kyogen -niichan is a serious guy at heart, so I think he did pretty well, but I was treated like a bad employee because I was such a joker, and the only time I could shine was during parties, so it was tough... I was treated lower than my brother. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

In the case of Noh , the company suddenly went bankrupt, *14 and things got very difficult after that.

Kyogen : That period was probably the toughest for us. We were so poor that we were on the verge of starvation.

We both felt that if we continued with Noh we would really die, so we each started looking for new opportunities to work, and that's where we are now.

Kyogen : That was around the time we stopped living together. Nowadays, people see us as separate entities, like "Noh" and "Kyogen," and we often perform separately, but we are still brothers, so I would like people to see both, if possible.

Noh: That's true.

Kyogen Niichan is very profound and impressive, the chanting and dancing are beautiful, and it is sophisticated as a musical drama. However, it takes a little time to understand the rules. I prefer to do dialogue drama, and the content is frank and easy to get into, so it might be good for beginners to watch me first.

Noh , yes, there are many stories with the same contents. For example, there are stories with demons, or stories with blind people as the main characters. I think that by watching both, your perspective will be much deeper. You can also see the difference in our personalities. What, twins in the entertainment industry? The way we portray each other is so different that you'll think, "What?

Kyogen : I guess we aren't brothers after all...I guess I was adopted...

Noh, you're still worried about what I said earlier ...

What are the similarities and differences between the two?

The demons that Kyogen Brother portrays are really scary. They go on a rampage and harm humans. What's more, he also vividly depicts the tragedies of people who were originally human but turned into demons through jealousy, obsession, or trauma. So, they're terrifyingly realistic, and it makes you think that maybe you, too, could become a demon...

NohCompared to that , the demons you draw are incredibly charming. They may be doting parents, timid, or fall in love with a girl and try their best to woo her, but in the end, she throws beans at them and they panic and retreat (laughs).

It's all just pathetic demons (lol).

That's why demons are so lovable, even in Noh . Also, we may have something in common in that we are both trying to portray humans. You could say that I express the ugly human form seized by obsession through the existence of a demon, while your demon is more human than a human. By deliberately using the existence of a demon, I can express more harshly the weakness and loneliness of humans, and the love that comes with it. At first, the audience will think, "Oh, it's a story about demons," but before long they'll think, "Wait a minute, isn't this about us?!"

Kyogen , that's right! That's something we have in common! Maybe we are genuine twins! Also, people generally think that my brother is in charge of the "tragedies" and I'm in charge of the "comedies," but I'm not sure about that, to be honest. Of course, if you just take the content out, it does seem that way. But my brother is also quite "funny."

Yes ! Right?

Even in Kyogen , for example, the stage equipment, called "tsukurimono" (arts-making items) *15 , is completely strange! They put so much effort into the costumes and props, so I'm like, "Huh? Is it okay to be so careless about that?" (laughs).

Now that you mention it, Noh masks also have a lot of funny faces when you look closely (laughs).

The content of the kyogen is also quite strange. The main character is very pessimistic and exudes a serious atmosphere, but there are many moments when you want to say, "No, no, that's a strange way to worry!"

I think I understand Noh a little bit. It's funny to watch someone ask for advice about their problems.

Kyogen : I like that earnest, "natural" side of my brother. I like him so much that I wrote a play called "Octopus." It's a complete parody of my brother. The main character is the ghost of a cooked octopus, who appears saying, "I can't rest in peace..."

Noh even goes so far as to include "utai" and "shiryuu" (four beats), making it a proper Noh structure... I've been meaning to say this for a while, but is that piece making fun of me?

This is an incredible kyogen ! It's "Respec." "Respec."

Noh , you call it comedy, but there are quite a lot of sad plays. There are also some pieces that move you emotionally, like "Tsukimi Zatō," "Mihikari," and "Buaku." It's like, "It starts off funny, but then it turns sad..."

I think I understand Kyogen . Many of the characters in my plays are strange, but if you look closely, they all carry a little bit of the sadness and loneliness of the common people. Kyogen's comedy often follows a set pattern where the protagonist plots something but fails, but they don't plot anything big like trying to change the country or society. At best, they have small aspirations like stealing alcohol, wooing a girl, or wanting a little money. But the sadness lies in the fact that even such small aspirations don't work out. The more I laugh, the more I feel a little sad. The empty energy of a lonely person is even more sad...or something like that.

Noh: It's hard to tell if it's a tragedy or a comedy. It's not that easy to understand, but that's what makes us interesting. I'd love for many people to come and see us. Let's start with Kyogen! It's the oldest surviving dialogue play in Japan, and you'll laugh, ...

After Kyogen , you should definitely try Noh! Pleasant music, pleasant chants, comfortable seats in the audience seats, relaxed movements, sleep and sleep... If you wake up, the story hasn't progressed much, so you fall asleep again... Such an exquisite sleep experience awaits you (laughs).

Noh: You're making fun of me after all (laughs)

Click here for Noh and Kyogen events scheduled to be held in Kanagawa Prefecture