Nogaku (aka Nohgaku) is a type of Japanese theatre. Its two components, Noh drama and Kyogen comic theatre, are performed in the same space, including a walkway and stage. Traditional intermission between Noh acts, Kyogen makes the audience laugh in sharp contrast of the formal, symbolic, and solemn aspects of Noh. Nogaku typically features tales based on Japanese traditional literature, props, and dance-based performances.
51 years after the Japanese government designated Nogaku theatre an Important Intangible Cultural Property (1957), UNESCO designated Nogaku theatre an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2008) as the oldest major theatre art still regularly performed. Nogaku is rooted in the 8th century, peaked in the 14-15th centuries, influenced bunraku puppet theatre and kabuki glamorous theatre, and remains the main form of Japanese theatre.
Founded in Tokyo in 1983, the National Noh Theatre started regularly featuring female performers in 2007.
On the way to the 2025 World Expo hosted by Osaka city, several exciting Noh events will take place in October/November 2024 during Osaka Noh Festa, including an unprecedented Noh-on-ship experience!
Noh Drama
In Noh stories, the hero narrator is typically a supernatural being in human form. Noh costumes are gorgeous, though less flashy than kabuki ones.
Significantly constraining the ability of the performer to see its surroundings, Noh masks represent typical characters such as kids, elders, women, and ghosts; they make great souvenirs and wall decorations. As masks hide the faces, emotions are conveyed by stylised conventional gestures instead. Consequently, Noh actors & musicians must be highly trained.
Shows and activities introducing Noh to foreign residents & visitors typically feature the most famous and most joyful Noh play: Takasago. Foreign Noh fans are welcome to visit Takasago Shinto Shrine in Takasago City (in Hyogo Prefecture, between Himeji & Kobe), where they can see a holy pine tree related to the Takasago Noh play.
Foreigners desiring some excitement during a Noh play would most enjoy Tsuchigumo, with its spiderweb projections.
Kyogen Comic Theatre
In ancient language, Kyogen (“wild speech” in Japanese) narrates the life of 12-16th-century commoners.