"This Person's 100 Tales and One Talent" 20th report

Yokohama Noh Theatre Lecture Series "This Person, 100 Stories and One Talent" 20th

Saturday, July 6, 2013 Yokohama Noh Theatre

This time's Magcal: Misato Yamamoto

"This Person's 100 Tales and One Talent" 20th report
 

 
July 6th, a sunny day. On this day, at the Yokohama Noh Theater,

I went to see the 20th "This Person's 100 Stories and One Talent" event, which featured Tsuruzawa Kanji.
 

 
On the hill opposite the sea from Sakuragicho, there are facilities such as the Prefectural Youth Center, the Prefectural Library, and the Music Hall.

When I entered, I could see the wooden Noh theater with a tiled roof standing quietly among the trees, exuding a solemn presence. Next to the Noh theater is a large park full of nature called Kabaneyama Park.

The leaves of the trees were pleasant and the air was clear, and it seemed like time was flowing slowly and peacefully only around the Noh theater.
 

 
When I went inside, I was surprised to see a Noh stage that seemed to take up about one-third of the venue, and it felt like a house inside a house. However, after sitting in the audience seat for a while, I realized that my impression was wrong.

I suddenly realized that the inside of the door leading to the auditorium has a roof on the side facing the auditorium. Of course, the Noh stage also has a roof.

I felt as if I was surrounded by buildings, or more precisely, thrown into the courtyard. I had been going deeper and deeper into the building, but before I knew it, I was standing under the sky.

I felt like I had finally arrived.

I grew up in Yokohama, and although I have been to the Prefectural Youth Center many times for school events, behind it is the Yokohama Noh Theater, a building dedicated to classical performing arts.

This is the first time I've found out it exists.

This was my first experience with Bunraku, and there were many things I didn't know.
 

 
This time, the Living National Treasure, Kanji Tsurusawa, came wearing a white costume. The white costume is only worn during the three summer months from June 15th to September 15th, and it gives off a cool feeling just by looking at it.

It seems that this is a traditional consideration for the audience. What was interesting was that it was really amazing to see the sound of the shamisen change to that of the biwa just because of the difference in the bridge used.

I was surprised at how much the sound changed.

He also said, "Because the shamisen is made of stretched skin, unlike stringed instruments like the guitar or violin, the shamisen also has percussion elements like a drum."

When I heard that story, I realized that the shamisen is a musical instrument that has a single shape, but can be played in a variety of different ways.

I began to think that it might be an instrument that allows for seven different variations in sound.

The sight of traditional wisdom being passed down from person to person goes beyond the image of classical performing arts as something "old."

I began to change my image of it as something that lives in the modern world.

Although I was born in Japan, I knew nothing about Bunraku, a traditional Japanese performing art, and I felt ashamed of my ignorance. However, this lecture helped me to discover the Japan I didn't know.

It was a great opportunity to see it. I hope that people who, like me, have had no prior experience with classical performing arts will take an interest in them through this opportunity.

This time, we had a class on the Bunraku shamisen, but on February 1, 2014, the 21st session of "This Person, 100 Stories, One Tale" will be held with the guest, the Noh actor and Living National Treasure, Kan Hosho.

Why not visit the Yokohama Noh Theatre?
 
 
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Misato Yamamoto

Born in Hokkaido in 1990 and raised in Yokohama, he is currently enrolled in the painting department at Tokyo Zokei University.

In 2012, he held a group exhibition entitled "A Slightly Confused Sulking Cat" (Kita-Senju).

In 2013, he participated in discussion group activities and the puppet theater troupe "Gekidan☆Shiki."

A two-person exhibition is planned for Shimokitazawa this September.

He is currently creating installations and performances that explore the relationship between public space and personal space.

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Photo: Misato Yamamoto's work "Untitled" 2012