Nō (sometimes Romanized as “Noh”) is one of Japan’s oldest theatrical forms, and the oldest form of traditional theater still being regularly practiced today. Nō plays involve masked lead and supporting actors, a chorus, and accompaniment by flutes and drums; the stories are based on Japanese legends and histories (popular subjects for drama around the world) and often feature a “transformation” of the lead actor between the first and second acts. At 440 years old, the nō stage at Itsukushima Jinja (Shrine) on Miyajima Island (Hiroshima Prefecture) is one of the oldest in Japan:
Read moreNoh
Noh Stage at Fushimi Inari Taisha
Nō drama (sometimes Romanized as “Noh”) is a Japanese art that originated in the 14th century. Performers wear masks, and perform in a highly ritualized manner on stages that haven’t changed much in five hundred years. This stage, located at Fushimi Inari Shrine (just south of Kyoto) dates back several hundred years, and features in my upcoming Hiro Hattori novel, The Ninja’s Daughter (which releases from Seventh Street Books on August 2):
Read moreAn Introduction to Japanese Nō Drama
The dramatic art of Nō (sometimes written “Noh”), or Nōgaku, originated in Japan around the 14th century. Although the art form owes it origins to an older Chinese form called sangaku, which came to Japan from China during the 8th century, the rigid discipline and technical aspects of a Nō performance are uniquely Japanese. In fact, many people consider Nō to be an entirely, and uniquely, Japanese dramatic form. Nō is a form of play composed of chanted verses, some of which are spoken by solo actors and others by a chorus. The play is accompanied by four musicians: three drummers and a flutist. Some of
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