Encounter priceless antique Noh masks and culture with a 4th-generation Noh performer
2 hour private experience
Location: Nakano, Tokyo
Offered in Japanese, with friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in your language
Meet the master
What you’ll do
Under the careful guidance of a 4th-generation professional Noh performer, encounter a range of representative Noh masks passed down in the family for generations. Immerse into the world of Noh at this private studio & Noh stage, constructed in the master's own residences.
Who can attend
Children must be 11+
Availability
Everyday
Session 1 (10:00 - 12:00)
Session 2 (13:30 - 15:30)
Session 3 (18:00 - 20:00)
Access
40 minutes from Tokyo station (by train)
Endless Expressions, A Single Mask
For Noh performers, wearing a Noh mask is to embody a spirit beyond oneself, casting behind the body to embrace the role – of demon, of god, of child, man, or woman. Imbued in the Noh masks - known as either Noh men or omote in Japanese - is not just awe of the sacred, but also an appreciation of beauty, and as Noh Theater formalized in the 15th century onwards from ritual to performance, the role of the mask shifted from its purely spiritual origins to one capable of expressing the minutiae of human emotional expression. Within each mask’s immutable structure are a range of expressions, often contradictory, that transform based on angle, shadows, and light. There are over 200 different kinds of Noh masks in use, each conveying a different role. Considered priceless family heirlooms, the masks are passed down from generation to generation of performers, and actively used in modern Noh performances. Join a 4th-generation Noh performer in his private residences to encounter his troupe’s expansive collection of Noh masks. Under careful supervision, experience wearing one of these national treasures and walking across the stage, immersing into the spirit of Noh performance.
