An Evening of Noh and Kyogen 2026

This piece is a jiuta (traditional chamber music song) adaptation of a dance work from Kyoto-Osaka Kabuki that was based on the Noh play Shakkyo (“The Stone Bridge”). In the jiuta repertoire, it is classified as a sansagari-shibai utamono (theatrical song in the lowered tuning mode).

Although its immediate source remains uncertain, one theory suggests that the original version was Tsugai Jishi (“Paired Lions”), first performed at Kyoto’s Sōunza Theater in March 1738. This work is also believed to have served as the source for the Nagauta piece Hanabusa Shūjaku Jishi. If so, Shakkyo is considered one of the older compositions in the jiuta tradition.

The first half of the lyrics are written in a more colloquial and worldly style, while the latter half draws directly from the Noh play Shakkyo. It depicts the monk Jakushō, who, during his travels throughout the provinces, witnesses the appearance of a lion at the Stone Bridge leading to the Pure Land of Monju Bosatsu (Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva), and describes the mysterious lion dance that follows.

In addition, the instrumental interlude (tegoto) incorporates musical representations of the lion’s frenzied movements and the dramatic “hair-shaking” gestures that constitute the climactic highlights of lion dances in both Noh and Kabuki performance traditions.

Kyogen SUO OTOSHI Photo by：Shuya Katsura

After suddenly deciding to make a pilgrimage to the Ise Jingu Shrine, the master sent his servant Taro Kaja to invite his uncle to go along, as he had previously promised to accompany him. The master’s uncle declined the invitation, however, since it was so sudden. Figuring that Taro Kaja would accompany the master in his stead, the master’s uncle treated Taro to a send-off round of sake. As the liquor took its effect, Taro began to praise the master’s uncle profusely, then ended up blurting out a string of complaints about his master. Taro finally set out for home in high spirits, having received a formal suo robe as a gift from the master’s uncle. However, along the way, he ran into the master, who had been worried because Taro was so late in returning home. And then...

In the olden days, a visit to the Ise Jingu Shrine was a major undertaking—far more memorable than even the kind of overseas sightseeing trips people make today. This performance offers many comedic elements: Taro’s great delight at being able to take part in the pilgrimage, the way he becomes drunk at the urging of the master’s uncle, his bad-mouthing of his master, and the way he becomes flustered after discovering that he has dropped the suo robe on the way home. All are played for hearty laughs.

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Noh TENKO
Photo by：Shinya Watanabe

In the Later Han Dynasty in China (25 – 220), there lived a man called Ohaku and his wife, Ohbo, who dreamed of a drum falling from the sky. She then gave birth to a baby boy whom the couple named Tenko, which means “heavenly drum.” Shortly thereafter, a drum actually fell from the sky. When Tenko played it, it gave off exquisite sounds. The Emperor learned about this and ordered that the drum be brought to him. Not wishing to part with his beloved instrument, Tenko fled to the mountains. He was at last caught and was weighed down to be drowned in the depths of the Rosui River, a waterway so horrid that it was said even fish could not survive in it. The drum was carried off to the palace, and, perhaps saddened by its separation from Tenko, would not give off any sound at all.

The Noh play begins at this point in the story. The Emperor orders that Tenko’s father be summoned, so one of his Retainers (waki [supporting role]) comes to the home of Ohaku (mae-shite [main role for the first half of the play]). While fearing for his life, Ohaku obeys the imperial command. Proceeding along the bridge passageway to the noh stage, Ohaku arrives at the palace where the Emperor lives. When the father plays the drum, the love between the father and his son causes the drum to resonate with exquisite tones, leaving the Emperor deeply moved. In accordance with the Emperor’s wishes, the Retainer has an attendant (aikyogen [role performed by a Kyogen actor]) take Ohaku back home and begins a memorial service for Tenko on the banks of the Rosui River. Tenko (nochi-shite [main role for the second half of the play]) appears, delighted by the ceremony. He once again plays his drum and dances to the music, only to disappear at the break of day.

Noh traces its origins as far back as the 14th century, and it has continued to this day, uninterrupted. Noh was originally a form of entertainment for the common people, as a rite performed to pray for bountiful harvests and good fortune. It later began to draw its plots from works of classical literature, giving the audience a greater appreciation for the literary depth of the world. Its themes include gods’ blessings, prayers for the dead, manifestation of beauty, and states of emotional unrest in the face of a crisis. These themes are universal, and hence Noh has continued to be appreciated.
The methods of expression in Noh have been refined over hundreds of years, and are distilled down to a bare minimum, evoking the audience’s imagination and inviting them to actively infer the significance of each move for themselves. Masks, costumes, music, and movements embody the essential features of Japanese culture. Join us, and we will guide you through the world of Noh to invite you to experience the essence of Japanese culture.