Noh

Noh is a very old dance in Japan.

Actors wear beautiful masks. These masks show ghosts, women, or even demons.

Actors also wear bright, colorful clothes.

Musicians play drums and flutes to make music. The dance moves show how the characters feel. Some plays are funny, too. These funny parts are called kyōgen. People still love to watch Noh today.

Noh is a famous type of dance-drama from Japan.

It is one of the oldest theater arts in Japan. People have performed it since the 1300s. Many stories in Noh feature supernatural beings. A ghost might turn into a human hero to tell a tale.

Actors wear special masks to show their roles. These masks can represent women, gods, or even demons. The actors use slow, careful moves to show feelings. They also wear beautiful, bright clothes.

Musicians play instruments like the flute and drums. This group of musicians is called the hayashi. A chorus, known as the jiutai, also helps tell the story. Sometimes, funny plays called kyōgen are performed between the Noh plays. This whole group of arts is called nōgaku. Training for Noh begins when children are very young. Some start as early as age three. Actors work hard to keep these old traditions alive today.

Noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama.

It is the oldest major theater art in Japan that people still perform today. Many Noh stories follow supernatural beings that turn into human heroes to tell a tale. Actors use stylized gestures to show deep emotions. They also wear iconic masks to represent specific roles.

These masks can show ghosts, women, deities, or demons. The performers wear beautiful costumes, such as the Karaori garment. This art form is highly valued and follows strict traditions.

A Noh performance involves many different roles working together. The main actor is called the shite.

A second actor called the waki acts as a counterpart to the shite. A chorus known as the jiutai usually has six to eight people. Musicians called the hayashi play four instruments. These include a flute called the nōkan, a small drum, a hip drum, and a stick drum.

Sometimes, funny plays called kyōgen are performed between the Noh plays. The whole collection of Noh and kyōgen is called nōgaku. This structure helps keep the theater lively and interesting.

The history of Noh goes back many centuries. It grew from older arts like sangaku, which arrived from China in the 8th century. Other influences include kagura, which are ancient Shinto dances. In the 14th century, during the Muromachi period, Kan'ami and his son Zeami changed Noh. They helped create the form we recognize today. Zeami was a child actor when he first performed for the leader Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. This support helped Noh become a very prominent art form for the ruling class.

There are several important schools that keep Noh alive. The Kanze school was started by Kan'ami and Zeami. Other major schools include the Hōshō, Konparu, Kongō, and Kita schools.

Training for actors is very serious and begins at a young age. Some children start their training at only three years old. The concept of jo-ha-kyū helps organize the rhythm of the plays. Jo means the beginning, ha means breaking, and kyū means rapid. This pattern helps the tempo move from slow to fast.

Noh has faced many changes through different eras of Japanese history. During the Edo period, it was an art for wealthy people and leaders. After 1868, the art faced a hard time because it lost government money. However, Noh regained support because foreign diplomats found it very appealing. Today, the Japanese government protects nōgaku as an Important Intangible Cultural Property. In 2008, UNESCO added it to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It remains a beautiful way to connect with Japan's deep past.

Noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama.

It is Japan's oldest major theater art that is still regularly performed today. Many Noh plays are based on tales from traditional literature. These stories often feature a supernatural being that transforms into a human hero to narrate a tale. To express deep emotions, actors use highly stylized and conventional gestures. They also wear iconic masks to represent specific roles.

These masks can represent ghosts, women, deities, or demons. The performers wear elaborate costumes, such as the Karaori garment.

A full performance involves many specialized roles working in harmony. The main protagonist is called the shite.

If the shite appears first as a human and later as a ghost, the roles are called mae-shite and nochi-shite. The waki is a second actor who serves as a counterpart or foil to the shite. A chorus known as the jiutai, usually consisting of six to eight people, supports the drama. Musicians called the hayashi-kata play four specific instruments.

These include a transverse flute called the nōkan, a small drum, a hip drum, and a stick drum. Stage hands, known as kōken, assist the performers on stage. The entire collection of Noh and comedic kyōgen plays is referred to as nōgaku.

Noh is organized by a rhythmic concept called jo-ha-kyū. This term originated in gagaku, which is ancient courtly music. Jo means beginning, ha means breaking, and kyū means rapid or urgent. This concept dictates almost every element of the art. It affects the structure of a play, the songs, the dances, and the basic rhythms. It even organizes the program of a full performance. In a five-play program, the first play is jo, the second through fourth are ha, and the fifth is kyū. Within a single play, the tempo starts slowly at jo, moves faster during ha, and reaches a peak at kyū.

The history of Noh is a long journey of evolution. It grew from various traditional performing arts. One forerunner was sangaku, which arrived from China in the 8th century. Sangaku included acrobats, song, dance, and comic sketches. Other influences include dengaku, which are rural rice-planting celebrations. There is also kagura, which are ancient Shinto dances, and shirabyōshi, which were dances performed by women in the Imperial Court. By the 14th century, these elements merged to form the Noh we recognize today.

In the 14th century, during the Muromachi period, two figures transformed the art. Kan'ami Kiyotsugu and his son Zeami Motokiyo reinterpreted these traditions. They completed Noh in a new form that is very close to its present state. Kan'ami was a versatile actor who played many different roles. When Kan'ami performed for the shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Zeami was a child actor of about 12 years old. The shōgun's favor helped establish Noh as a prominent art form for the ruling samurai class. Zeami's great-grandson, Konparu Zenchiku, later added elements of waka poetry to the tradition.

Several major schools continue to preserve these traditions through the iemoto system. The iemoto is the head of a school and holds power over new plays and lyrics. The Kanze school was established by Kan'ami and Zeami. Other major schools include the Hōshō, Konparu, Kongō, and Kita schools.

Training for actors is incredibly rigorous. Most begin their training as young children, often at the age of three. Zeami identified nine levels of acting. Lower levels focus on movement, while higher levels involve spiritual prowess. While men have traditionally dominated the field, women began joining associations in the mid-20th century. In 2009, there were approximately 1,200 male and 200 female professional performers.

Noh has survived many historical changes and challenges. During the Edo period, it was an aristocratic art supported by the shōgun and feudal lords. However, the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868 caused a major financial crisis. The number of performers and stages decreased significantly. Noh eventually regained support because it appealed to foreign diplomats. Today, the Japanese government protects nōgaku as an Important Intangible Cultural Property. In 2008, UNESCO inscribed nōgaku on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This ensures that this ancient connection to Japan's past continues for future generations.