An Evening of Noh and Kyogen 2014

Born in 1945. Eldest son of Shigeyama Sensaku IV (Living National Treasure and member of Japan Art Academy) of the Okura school of Kyogen. Sengoro studied under his grandfather Sensaku III and father Sensaku IV. He made his stage debut as a shite actor in 1949 in the play “Iroha.”

Sengoro XIII performed overseas for the first time in 1973 in Europe, followed by a number of tours in Europe and the United States. He organized the Hanagata Kyogen Kai association of young Kyogen actors in 1976. He is recipient of the Kyoto Municipal New Artist Award (1986), the Kyoto Prefectural Culture Award’s Distinguished Service Prize (2004), and the National Arts Festival Grand Prize (2008). He is a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Properties (collective recognition).

In 1990 he was sent by the Japan Foundation to perform in a series of programs in Southeast Asia.

In 1994 he succeeded to the name Shigeyama Sengoro.

A shite (primary actor) of the Kanze School of Noh, Kurouemon Katayama was born in 1964 as the first son of KATAYAMA Yusetsu (Kurouemon Katayama IX ･living national treasure). His grandmother was the late Yachiyo Inoue IV (also a living national treasure), former head of the Inoue School of the traditional Kyoto Kyomai dance, and his older sister is Yachiyo Inoue V, head of the Inoue School. From childhood, Katayama studied Noh under his father and then Tetsunojo Kanze VIII. Together with his father, he organizes the Katayama Regular Noh performances. He performs frequently in theaters throughout the country, and often joins overseas tours to Europe, the United States, and other countries as well.

Katayama is involved in a variety of activities which are designed to share the joy of Noh with younger generations, including visiting Noh classes at schools, production of Noh picture books, stage production making full use of visual images, and the creation of virtual Noh plays using computer graphics technology.

Kurouemon Katayama is a recipient of the Kyoto Prefectural Cultural Encouragement Award (1997), the Kyoto Municipal New Artist Award (2003), the New Artist Award of the National Arts Festival of the Agency for Cultural Affairs (2003), the Japan Traditional Cultures Foundation Award (2007), the Kyoto Prefectural Culture Award’s Distinguished Service Prize (2013), and He succeeded the stage name Kurouemon KATAYAMA, the 10th (2011). He is one of a number of individuals who have been collectively designated as holders of Intangible Cultural properties, and he also serves as director of the Kyoto Kanze Kai association and executive director of the Katayama Noh and Kyomai Preservation Foundation.