Noh Terminology

Komparu School [Taiko-kata] (金春流［太鼓方］)

One of the Noh drum (taikoi) schools, also called the Sōemon School. The founder, Komparu Saburō Toy...

Kanze School [Taiko-kata] (観世流［太鼓方］)

One of the Noh drum (taiko) schools, also called the Kanze Sakichi School. The founder, Kanze Yoshir...

Ishii School [Ōtsuzumi-kata] (石井流［大鼓方］)

One of the Noh large hand drum (ōtsuzumi) schools. The founder, Ishii Shōzaemon Shigenaga, was a dis...

Takayasu School [Ōtsuzumi-kata] (高安流［大鼓方］)

One of the Noh large hand drum (ōtsuzumi) schools. The founder, Takayasu Yoemon Dōzen (1499-1557), w...

Kadono School [Ōtsuzumi-kata] (葛野流［大鼓方］)

One of the Noh large hand drum (ōtsuzumi) schools. The founder, Kadono Kurō Hyōenojō Sadayuki (1588-...

Ōkura School [Ōtsuzumi-kata] (大倉流［大鼓方］)

One of the Noh large hand drum (ōtsuzumi) schools. Like the kotsuzumi-kata Ōkura School, the founder...

Kanze School [Ōtsuzumi-kata] (観世流［大鼓方］)

One of the Noh large hand drum (ōtsuzumi) schools. The founder was Kanze Katsujirō Shigemasa (died i...

Kanze School [Kotsuzumi-kata] (観世流［小鼓方］)

One of the Noh small hand drum (kotsuzumi) schools, also called the Kanze-Shinkurō School because ma...

Ōkura School [Kotsuzumi-kata] (大倉流［小鼓方］)

One of the Noh small hand drum (kotsuzumi) schools. Like the ōtsuzumi-kata Ōkura School, the founder...

Kōsei School [Kotsuzumi-kata] (幸清流［小鼓方］)

One of the Noh small hand drum (kotsuzumi) schools, also known in the past as the Kō Seijirō School....

Kō School [Kotsuzumi-kata] (幸流［小鼓方］)

One of the Noh small hand drum (kotsuzumi) schools, also known in the past as the Kō Gorōjirō School...

Kakyō (花鏡)

An esoteric book of Noh. Consisting of one volume, Kakyō is a compilation of the artistic theory tha...

Sarugaku-dangi (申楽談儀)

An esoteric book of Noh. With the formal title “Zeshi rokuju igo Sarugaku dangi”, it was written by ...

Fukuō-ryū (福王流)

A Noh school of waki actors. The founder of the school, Fukuō Kamiemon Moritada (1521-1606), was a S...

Takayasu-ryū (高安流)

A Noh school of waki actors. Its origins go back to Takayasu Chōsuke (died 1585), who lived in Takay...

Shimogakari Hōshō-ryū (下掛宝生流)

A Noh school of waki actors. The Shimogakari style was founded by Konparu Gonshichi Yūgen (d. 1692),...

Fujita-ryū (藤田流)

One of the Noh flute schools. The founder of the school was Fujita Seibee Shigemasa (1600 (Keichō 5)...

Morita-ryū (森田流)

One of the Noh flute schools. The artistic lineage of the school’s founder, Morita Shobee （1597 - 16...

Issō-ryū (一噌流)

One of the Noh flute schools. The founder of the school was Nakamura Shichirōzaemon （died in 1539）, ...

Noh-hon (能本)

An old name for Noh scripts. Noh-hon and utai-bon (books of Noh chants) are both for written verses...

Tenkaichi (天下一)

A title given to masters of various industrial arts by the authorities, from the Azuchi-Momoyama per...

Waranbe Gusa (わらんべ草)

Treatise of late Edo era kyōgen. Written by Yaemon Toraakira (1597-1662), 13 th generation head of t...

Shoshin (初心)

Shoshin is a popular word and idea from one of Zeami’s treatises on Noh, Kakyo, in which he tells re...

Riken-no-ken (離見の見)

Riken-no-ken, or “sight outside of sight,” is a term used in Ze’ami’s treatise on Noh, Kakyō. It ref...

Rikugi (六義)

The Rikugi is a book passed from Ze’ami to his son-in-law Konparu Tayū, or Zenchiku. It was passed o...

Shimotsuma Shōshin (下間少進)

Shimotsuma Shōshin lived from 1551 to 1616. He was a monk at Honganji and amateur Noh performer from...

Konparu Zenchiku (金春禅竹)

Konparu Zenchiku was a Noh actor and playwright who lived from 1405 (Ōei 1212) to 1470 (Bunmei 2)?, ...

Isshisōden (一子相伝)

Secrets and deep knowledge passed from a Noh practitioner to only one child. There are plays, perfor...

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...

Kusemai (曲舞)

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