Noh Theater
In 2001 Unesco recognized the Noh theater form as being a "masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity." Translate that however you will, Noh theater is a classical performance that captures aspects of history and culture from Japanese days gone by.
Noh theater is in the style of a symbolic drama. The scripts are based on history or classical literature and were supposed to educate as well as entertain their audience.
The costumes in Noh are highly decorative and designed to be representations of the characters being portrayed. Most important of all for the key players is their mask. There are up to 80 different kinds of mask used in Noh theater. Each one captures the essence and personality of the character in the story. Before beginning a performance, an actor will often meditate by looking at their mask to put themselves into role.
Perhaps the hardest job of all for the actor is to present the audience with the feelings and gestures of the character using only their voice. With the absence of facial expressions due to the mask, the voice, as well as the words, takes center stage to convey the full meaning of the story to the audience.
Noh Theater Today
Noh theater was in decline after the end of the Shogunate. It had been an art form enjoyed exclusively by the upper class during the Edo Period, and with a change in government came in change in hierarchical roles. Thankfully, after WWII, Noh was revived and recognized as being a significant contributor to Japanese traditional performing arts.
Unlike Kabuki theater, Noh does allow female actresses. More and more women are now participating in this old performing art form.
In Tokyo today, Noh performances are a regular occurrence enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. The stage itself is a simple affair in contrast to the costumes that adorn the characters. Noh theater traditionally took place outside and, although most stages are now in theaters, they are designed to reflect the original outdoor style. There are very few props and fans are used by the actors to depict many different items including swords, walking sticks and bottles.
If you are going to see a Noh performance you will need the English translation service that is available - you just need to ask. Be prepared to sit for a long time. These shows often continue for several hours and are broken up by short skits from other types of performing art. If you would like to know more, see our Noh world link.
