Noh Terminology

Izumi School (和泉流)

One of the kyōgenkata schools. Said to have been founded by Sasaki Gakurakuken in the middle of the ...

Ōkura School (大蔵流)

One of the schools of kyōgen. While some sayGen-ei Hōin (1269-1350) of the Nanboku-chō era was its f...

Kita School (喜多流)

One of Noh’s shitekata schools. A new school founded around 1619 at the start of the Edo era with th...

Kongoh School (金剛流)

One of Noh’s shitekata schools. Its founder is said to be Sakato Magotarō Ujikatsu (1280-1384) of th...

Konparu School (金春流)

One of Noh’s shitekata schools. The Konparu School has the longest history of any of the four Yamato...

Hōshō School (宝生流)

One of Noh’s shitekata schools. The founder is said to be either the son or brother of Kan’ami Kiyot...

Umewaka Troupe (梅若家)

One of Noh’s famous Shitekata Kanze troups. Tachibana no Moroe a, a government official in the first...

Kanze School (観世流)

One school of the shitekata of Noh. The founder was one of the greats ofNoh, Kan’ami Kiyotsugu. (13...

Dengaku (田楽)

Dengaku, or “field drama” comes from when hayashi or songs were performed during the planting of fie...

Sarugaku (猿楽)

A collective name for Noh and kyōgen used until the start of the Meiji era. Sarugaku derives from sa...

Fūshi Kaden (風姿花伝)

Fūshi Kaden is the treatise on Noh written by one of its great founders, Zeami, based on his father,...

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi lived from 1537to 1598 and was a shogun during the period of warring states in th...

Kan’ami (観阿弥)

Kan’ami lived from 1333to 1384and was a performer during the Nanboku-chō period. His given name was ...

Zeami (世阿弥)

Zeami is believed to have lived from 1363 to 1443 and was a performer during the first half of the M...

The Gekkeiden Noh Stage (月桂殿能舞台)

Located in the Shuzenji in Izu, Shizuoka, the Gekkeiden Noh stage was built in 1675 (Enpō 3) in the ...

Yokohama Noh Theatre (横浜能楽堂)

A city-funded Noh Theatre that opened in Momijigaoka, Nishi-ku, Yokohama in June 1996. In addition t...

Nagoya Noh Theatre (名古屋能楽堂)

A city-funded Noh theatre that opened in Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture in front of the main entrance of...

National Noh Theatre (国立能楽堂)

The National Noh Theatre in Sendagaya, Tokyo opened in September 1983. In addition to 60 years of in...

Itsukushima Shrine Noh Stage (厳島神社能舞台)

Noh Stage located at Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima nationally designated as an Important Cultural ...

Honganji North Stage (本願寺北能舞台)

The Noh Stage located in Nishi Hongwanji, the Honganji North Stage is the oldest Noh stage recogniz...

Hikazu Noh (日数能)

The continued performance of Noh over multiple days. In Shikisanban (Okina), there are different typ...

Kanjin noh (勧進能)

Performances held to raise subscriptions for the construction of shrines or temples. As times change...

Yoza (四座)

Za is a name of given to groups formed by performers. At present, there are five schools of leading ...

Kagami Ita (鏡板)

The lining board of the front of the Noh stage, with a large, old pine tree (oimatsu) painted on it....

Honmen (本面)

Masks that form the standard for individual schools and are passed down by the heads of the schools ...

Kusemai (曲舞)

One of the medieval arts prevalent from the Nanboku-chō era to the Muromachi era, kusemai is also re...

Kuse (クセ)

A single Noh play is made up of a combination of numerous shōdan, or “modules,” and kuse is one name...

Goban Date (五番立)

In the Edo era, Noh began to be performed as entertainment for the Shogunate, and the official style...

Waki-noh Mono (脇能物)

In the official five-play style of performance of the Edo era, shin nan nyo kyō ki (deity, man, woma...