Speaker A
[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Dense forest has dominated the landscape since the time Nara was the capital of Japan some 1,300 years ago. The primeval forest of Mount Kasuga, these woods have been revered for centuries as a sacred place where deities descended. The Kasuga Grand Shrine lies hidden in the trees, an important cultural property dating to the Nara period. The shrine is also registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each year in December, a festival is held here, a welcome for deities. The festival serves as a prayer for peace, bountiful crops, and comfort among the people. It has a history going back some 900 years. [Music] As part of the festival, ceremonial performances are presented in front of an ancient pine tree, featuring various stage arts such as Sarugaku, one of the precursors of Nohgaku. [Music] It's said that in ancient days, the Kasuga deity came to earth here before a pine and performed a celebratory dance. The pine tree painted on the back panels of a Noh stage is said to be a depiction of that holy pine. Welcome to the Noh theater. How do you like it? What draws your eye? The pillars, perhaps, or the stage roof, which is enclosed under a modern ceiling. It's certainly a unique design, isn't it? Today, most Noh stages are indoors, but they were originally free-standing outdoor structures. As a reminder of its origins, the modern Noh stage comes with its own fine roof despite being indoors. Some Noh stages are still found outside, as in olden days. This Noh stage is on the grounds of Chusonji Temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture. It's designated as an important cultural property by the Japanese government. Hiraizumi itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in part because of Chusonji Temple. The temple has over 3,000 items, starting with its Golden Hall, that are registered as national treasures or important cultural properties. The temple grounds are surrounded by a lush natural setting. One could enjoy Noh performances on this stage while experiencing the changing seasons. This is Itsukushima Shrine in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture, a national treasure and World Heritage Site. The shrine seems to float on water at high tide. It too has a Noh stage. Audience members are transfixed by the special world created by Noh performances in this magical setting. [Music] In nice weather, outdoor performances called Takigi Noh are presented throughout Japan. Viewing Noh in free and open natural settings provides spectators with an entirely different Noh experience. [Music] Let's take a look at the bridgeway that extends stage right in a Noh theater. It's called a Hashigakari. In performances, it's often used as a bridge connecting the world of spirits with our own world. The protagonist enters by sliding his feet smoothly along the polished boards, a movement said to reveal the heart of the character. Behind the curtain on the far end of the bridgeway is the Kagamino Ma, or mirror room. This is where the Noh actor quiets his heart just before making his entrance on stage. Now, let's enjoy a small taste of the world of Nohgaku. The term Nohgaku refers to both Noh itself and its sister art Kyogen. Kyogen is a more conversational stage art that focuses on dialogue, often comedic. It depicts the foibles one encounters in daily life. In contrast, Noh is essentially an art of song and dance through which the story is told with the help of instrumental accompaniment and a chorus. One might liken Noh to opera or musical theater. The world depicted in Noh plays blossoms and grows out of a uniquely Japanese sensibility, depicting the beauty and spirit of the Japanese in coexistence with nature. Nohgaku was originally performed from sunrise to sunset in day-long programs comprised of set categories of pieces. [Music] The traditional program begins with a piece called Okina, which means old men. After the old man dances the Okina dance as a prayer for peace throughout the land and the safety of the nation, a character called Sanbaso performs an energetic dance and says a prayer for a bountiful harvest. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Sanbaso's dance embodies the nurturing spirit the Japanese have always had for agricultural culture. After Okina is performed, the next piece on the program usually depicts a deity. [Music] That piece is followed by a warrior piece, usually focused on a warrior who has fallen in battle. [Music] Next comes a piece about a beautiful woman, a spirit of a flower, or some other delicate theme. [Music] [Music] [Music] This is followed by a dramatic piece, which often has a live-action flavor. [Music] Finally, the world of demons and spirits is presented in a colorful and tempestuous finale. [Music] Oh! [Music] In between these Noh pieces, lively and humorous Kyogen pieces act as a palate cleanser for avid audiences. In the course of a single day, all the past, present, and future hopes and dreams of the Japanese people pass in a pageant across the Noh stage. Perhaps Noh's most attractive attribute is the ability to depict the Japanese spirit from many different perspectives. Historically, the Japanese have always discovered the shimmering life force in all living things, but living beings also come to an end. Nohgaku resurrects the luster of lost life on stage. It softens grief, points the way toward future strength, and sings a hymn of celebration. Nohgaku is truly an art of prayer. Sado Island lies in western Niigata Prefecture, known for its sumptuous scenery. The island is also home to many Noh stages, more than any other. Practitioner, the 14th-century Noh performer Zeami shaped Noh as we know it today. Some of Zeami's sayings are familiar even among those not acquainted with Noh, such as the adage "Never forget the beginner's mind." In his later years, Zeami lived here on Sado Island amid violent tumult. Zeami focused his art on the resurrection of spirits who had perished in the past. Noh memorialized their shining moments while offering prayers to assuage their souls. This became the template of the Noh form. Even now, centuries later, Noh remains a stage art of prayer and is still performed in that spirit today. Zeami described the essence of his art with the word Hana, which means flower. Through spring, summer, fall, and winter, in all the glories of nature, all things shine in an instant of beauty, blooming like a flower. Wearing gorgeous costumes, Noh actors ride the pleasing flow of instrumental accompaniment and chant as they dance. [Music] In contrast, Kyogen actors transiently celebrate what it is to be human. [Music] Together, Noh and Kyogen bring all things beautiful to the stage, blossoming like a flower. When the performance ends, the Noh stage returns to emptiness, and yet in silence, it imparts the feeling that before too long it will once again conjure something new from nothing. Nature's ever-changing faces, ancient dreams of heroism, hopes, and desires newly arisen, all brought to life as if through prayer. Wrote that life ends, but Noh is eternal. Surviving untold natural disasters, wars, and other catastrophes, Nohgaku has carried on for nearly 700 years. It will no doubt continue to transmit the beauty and spirit of the Japanese far into the future. [Music] [Music] Foreign [Applause] [Music] Do you
