N
ogaku, or more famously known as Noh is a classical musical drama deeply treasured in Japan. It is said to be originated back in the 8th century through the influence of Sangaku (geometrical problems and theorem) which was transmitted from China. Developed during the 14th and 15th century, it has brought great influences to numerouos performances in the Japanese culture, including the Japanese Puppet Theater and Kabuki (Japanese dancedrama.) But the most fascinating thing about this cultural heritage is that it has successfully brought to life traditional Japanese tales through acrobatics, dances, music and visual arts. Brought by Kan’ami and his son Zeami Motokito and patronized by the Ashikaga Clan, this customary performance has completely transformed the future of Japanese performances.
The Shite, Waki, chorus, musicians and stage hands in a Noh performance
In fact, this treasured tradition brought the attention of UNESCO and it now has been recognized as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. As the oldest Japanese theater form, it is no wonder that the Nogaku is being treasured and preserved. The original Nogaku performance consists of 5 Noh plays and several humorous Kyogen pieces (comic theater) and the performance goes on for the entire day. Today, however, it has been reduced to 2 Noh plays and 1 Kyogen in between them, keeping in mind the audience’s attention span. ROLES IN NOGAKU There are 4 main role categories in a Nogaku performance; shite (first human), waki (counterpart of shite) , kyogen (interlude) and hayashi (orchestra.) Traditionally, actors and musicians only rehearse together once as Sen no Rikyu says, ‘ichi-go, ichi-e’ which literally translates to one chance, one meeting. There are over 1500 professional Noh actors in Japan and most of them are men, even though there are various female roles in the play. MOOD AND STYLE There are 2 main moods and 2 main styles that is present in a Nogaku performance. Mugen No is the mood of the play that includes spirits, ghosts and supernatural world whereas Genzai No captures normal events of everyday world. In terms of styles, Geki No includes drama plays that revolves around the advancement of the
plot and the narration of the action. Furyu No, in the other hand, are dance plays that are based on singing and dancing. PERFORMANCE SPACE The stage consists of 4 main parts: the main stage, Hashi-gakari (bridgeway), Juitai-za (chorus place) and Ato-za (musicians’ place.)
An example of a Nogaku stage and seating with arrows pointing the use of a certain space. Most of the performance takes place on the main stage, as it is where the shite normally stands. It is 6m square in area and it has 4 pillars supporting the roof as seen above. The stage floor is made of hinoki wood and is fully polished. Beneath the floor are buried giant pots to enhance the deep properties of the wood floor when actors stomp heavily. As a result to this, the stage has to be elevated 3 feet above audience level. As seen above, kagami-ita, or the painting of a pine tree is present as it represents a famous pine tree in shinto (indigenous spirituality of Japan.) A stage