Noh

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.