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It is said that Noh was formed around the end of the Kamakura era to the early Muromachi era (the first half of fourteenth century) by integrating songs and dances which were popular among commoners as well as the dances that had been offered to deities since the Nara and Heian eras (since the eighth century). These arts of the common people were influenced by Zen Buddhism and ink painting, which flourished in the Muromachi era, and refined by being patronized by the Shogunate and aristocrats. Noh's great founder, Zeami (Zay-ahmee), is one of the most important figures in the history of Japanese theatre. Zeami’s treatise on Noh, "Fūshi kaden (Teachings on Style and the Flower)," written close to two hundred years before the emergence of Shakespeare, influences the lives of the Japanese even to this day.
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Funabenkei（関根知孝 村瀬純 高梨万里） © TOSHIRO MORITA |
Focus on Inner Movement
The special character of Noh is its simplicity. Stage sets and properties are not placed on the Noh stage where the Noh drama is performed, unlike kabuki and other modern performance art. Also, the audience is not separated by a curtain; the Noh stage is an open space. Jiutai, who is in charge of chorus and the instrumental musicians, hayashi-kata, take seats on the stage with the actors. Instead of pursuing realism of performance in an authentic-looking stage set, Noh dramas pursue the expression of inner movement by vocal and instrumental music and ultimately simplified movement and dance in an extremely simplified space.
Recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage
After the Meiji era, Noh was widely introduced to the world and was acclaimed by intellectuals and performance artists all over the world. As the result, Noh art influenced their activities. Since the 1950s, Noh performances overseas have taken root and more and more people around the world have a chance to enjoy Noh art. Today, Noh is designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, based on its superb international reputation.
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