A survivor called Noh

Noh is a unique art form and one of Japan's best known cultural assets. However, it has not always enjoyed the respect it has today. KS looks back at its ups and downs.

Essentially the brainchild of a 14th & 15th century father and son duo named Kanami (1333-1384) and Zeami (c. 1363-c. 1443), Noh is the oldest form of mask theater in existence today. Similar in status to the Shakespearean plays of the European stage, Noh is the lone parental figure of such forms of Japanese entertainment as Kabuki, Kyogen and Bunraku. That said, Noh is a parent with a background.

Traceable to the influences of ancient and lost forms of Japanese entertainment and even earlier forms of mainland theater, Noh as is, is a unique form of masked drama, replicated today nowhere else on in the world. The name Noh is originally a Buddhist term referring to the mental connection between actors on stage and their audience and was adopted by the actors of the Sarugaku school of acting to differentiate their professional rank and increasing level of spirituality. As well as being one of the oldest forms in the world, it was perhaps Japan's first form of play performed by non-amateurs.

Presented by highly trained and exquisitely costumed actors committed lifelong to their art, Noh today has an approximate 1,500 professionals performing plays that can be categorized as one of the following five play types:

• God related plays
• Warrior and warlord plays
• Plays centered on women
• Plays based on insanity (often in women)
• Plays about demons

Each of the play types has its own characteristics and focus. Dance features heavily as do subtle gestures and symbolism — but none of your over-the-top and garish Kabuki style moves here. The number of actors on stage is small; often three or four at any one time, and musical and vocal accompaniment forms a major part of the play with all performers being on stage though off to the side or at the rear at the time they perform.

Noh is what you make it. It is Japanese acting, song and dancing at a level of refinement bordering on the spiritual. Noh has the potential to leave spectators breathless and fulfilled.

As an art form whose present day contribution to both international and domestic forms of theater cannot be overestimated, Noh was, in its early days the beneficiary of the support of shogun; and as a result become the preferred form of entertainment for Japan's upper classes. Indeed, the founder of the villa that eventually became Kyoto's Kinkakuji, (Temple of the Golden Pavilion), the famed shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, (1358-1408) was particularly fond of Noh, and is said to have practiced it himself.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912) however, the times of plenty during the preceding Edo era meant that nationwide attempts to modernize the nation and bring it in line with many of the emerging western forms of thinking led to barren times for Noh. Traditional theaters closed as Japanese eyes turned westwards.

The actors found themselves out of work, and many ancient costumes and masks used in the plays were lost forever. Noh was itself in danger of extinction and becoming but a footnote on the pages of history, but fortunately it caught the Imperial attention and enjoyed a renaissance.

Having survived the hard times, the profession flourished, albeit with an inaccurate image of being more for the upper classes and higher-educated echelons of society than for the man on the street. The result, almost a century after the end of the Meiji era is quite astounding when considering that the form was nearly eradicated.

Today's main Noh troupes perform not only at home but also abroad. As Japanese culture, and entertainment in particular, increases the size of its global audience, Noh has gained recognition with tours to Europe, the US and South Asia.
Performances of the 250 or so plays in the remaining repertoire, can be seen year round at the National Noh Theater in Tokyo, and from time to time in several other cities around the land as part of special events or regular performances.

However, on just one night each year Noh comes to the famed Kyoto shrine, Heian Jingu — that night is June 1st. As the lone date on the calendar that Noh is performed at the shrine it is certainly an event worth attending. That it is also a performance of Takigi Noh, (Noh by firelight) adds further depth to this important cultural display. While Noh itself is enthralling, almost mystical, Takigi Noh has a special beauty.

On June 1st, as the flickering flames cast their magical light over the actors, the shrine's own history contributes to an atmosphere that you'll never forget.

The shrine itself is a relatively recent addition to Japan's religious heritage and was constructed in 1895 — right in the period that nearly saw the demise of Noh. Perhaps the irony of Noh today returning to honor a symbol of the nation state of the Meiji era is lost on some.

To others, the coincidence demonstrates just how life can come full circle. Be part of the circle — buy your tickets early at tourist assistance offices or by contacting the shrine direct (in Japanese).

Text: Mark Bucktton • Photos: Nakamura, Ray