sarugaku
Sarugaku is a traditional form of Japanese theater blending music, dance, and comic skits. It originated in the Heian period as itinerant performances for urban audiences, temples, and the court, developed by groups known as sarugakusha. The name, literally monkey music, reflects the lively, popular character of the early art, though the exact origin is unclear.
The form absorbed a range of performing arts, especially dengaku (field music) and comic dance, and traveled
In the Muromachi period, leading practitioners such as Kan'ami and his son Zeami refined sarugaku into a
Sarugaku's influence on Japanese theater is substantial: it provided the techniques, repertory, and performative principles that