Noh

Noh is a form of classical Japanese musical drama that combines dance, mask theater, chant, and living music. It originated in the 14th and 15th centuries during the Muromachi period and was developed by the actors Kan’ami and his son Zeami Motokiyo, who wrote treatises that shaped the style. Noh continues to be performed in Japan and abroad, and was designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2008.

Noh is performed by male actors who may wear masks to portray supernatural beings, aged or gendered characters and simplified human emotions. The shite is the principal actor, often playing spiritual beings, ghosts, or main heroes; the waki is a secondary role who interacts with the shite; other roles include tsure or koken. The performance is accompanied by a hayashi musical ensemble (a nohkan flute and percussion with tsuzumi and ōkotsuzumi drums), as well as a chorus that voices text and contributes to rhythm and mood.

The plays are typically short, highly stylized, and draw on myth, history, or legend. They emphasize inner states and the passage of time over realistic action. Masks and elaborate costumes convey character, mood, and age, while the actor’s speaking, movement, and facial expressions (within the mask) express the drama.

Noh is staged on a simple wooden platform with a roof, a pine tree painting on the back wall, and a long bridge (hashigakari) linking stage to audience. Kyogen, a separate comic form, is often performed in alternation with Noh between acts.