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THINGS JAPANESE: Noh and Kyogen

On May 18th 2001, Noh was among the 19 cultural spaces and forms of expression to which UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) today gave the title of "masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity". By proclaiming these 19 masterpieces, UNESCO - whose World Heritage List of the outstanding cultural and natural sites is very well-known - has wanted to raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding intangible heritage, an essential component of cultural diversity.

The current Noh Theatre at Okazaki Castle was the first municipal (city owned) theater built in Japan and the oldest still in use.

Noh is a Japanese performance art, thought to be one of the oldest theatrical forms in the world which combines elements of drama, poetry music and dance into a rare art form. It is performed throughout Japan, mainly be men who have passed the art down through family members for a number of generations.

Noh developed into its present form during the 14th and 15th centuries under performer/playwrights Kannami and his son Zeami. Zeami, in particular, wrote numerous plays which are still performed today. During the Edo period (1603-1868), Noh became the official performance art of the military government; a ceremonial drama performed by professional actors for the warrior class and in a sense, a prayer for peace, longevity, and the prosperity of the social elite. Feudal military lords throughout the country supported their own troupes and many studied and performed the art themselves.

With the societal reforms of the Meiji period (1868-1912), Noh lost its governmental patronage and nearly died out. However, after World War II enough performers regrouped, found private sponsors, and began teaching the art to amateurs so that it slowly began to become popular amongst certain groups again.

Noh has a small but enthusiastic following around the world with performers being highly trained. There are approximately 1,500 professional performers who make their living largely through performing and teaching Noh, and thousands of others who take an interest or who perform their own Noh plays.

There are five types of Noh plays. The first is the god play ('kami'), secondly is the 'shura mono' - or fighting play involving warriors. Third is the 'katsura mono' or wig play featuring beautiful women, and the fourth includes the 'gendai mono', or present day play where the story is of a modern, contemporary nature, and the 'kyojo mono' or mad woman play. Finally the 'kiri' or 'final play' where devils and other supernatural beings appear.

The plays themselves are partly prose but most are poetry. The prose is 14th century upper class Japanese; inflected in such a way as to be incomprehensible to all but a few Japanese. Many years ago, most of the spectators knew the story's plot and background very well, so they knew how to appreciate symbols and subtle allusions to Japanese cultural history contained in the words and movements. However, nowadays, many spectators find it difficult to fully understand  the meaning of the stories.

There are two types of actors in a Noh play - the main actor is called the 'shite' (usually masked) and the 'waki', the secondary character. The actors' faces are either masked or completely expressionless. Musical accompaniment is provided by four musicians (occasionally three), who play a flute ("nohkan"), a small hand drum ("kotsuzumi"), a large hand drum ("otsuzumi") and a large drum ("taiko"). A chorus of 8 singers also takes part in the Noh performance.

Kyogen are humorous interludes that are traditionally performed between two separate Noh plays as comic relief. While Noh is musical in nature, Kyogen emphasizes dialogue. It is performed in ordinary dress (of older times) and usually without masks. Kyogen actors usually appear in interlude roles in Noh plays. Similarly, Noh instrumentalists also sometimes appear in Kyogen plays. The training methods of the two forms are also similar.

As Noh can be difficult to understand there is often an English translation of the play available. There are Noh theatres in all the major cities of Japan, in Okazaki and Nagoya Noh Gaku-do (052) 231-0088. There are several performances each month and ticket prices range from 1,000 Yen for a student to 38,000 Yen for a front row seat. Prices will often depend on the play and the actors performing.

Sources:

http://www.unesco.org/opi/eng/unescopress/2001/01-71e.shtml
http://www.kt.rim.or.jp/~snoo/
http://www.city.kanazawa.ishikawa.jp/bunka/trad/theater/noh/what/whatE.htm
http://www.iijnet.or.jp/NOH-KYOGEN/english/english.html

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