Kabuki and Noh are evolving with the times. Here’s how to experience them.

10.11.2023 - 12:53 / nationalgeographic.com

In the ancient artform of Noh, masked figures clad in elaborate robes use songs and chants to weave tales of gods and ghosts, love and loss from Japanese legends. It emerged in the 14th century, making it one of the world’s oldest surviving theater traditions. But despite its long history and influence over other art forms—including Kabuki—Noh remains relatively lesser known.

Noh troupes employ movements and gestures that are exacting and deliberate. Since the masks hide human expressions, performers evoke emotions with slight tilts of the head; the audience must fill in gaps with their imaginations.

Comparatively, “Kabuki was created as a commercial theater, which means that putting on a spectacle was important,” says Tove Björk, a professor of early modern Japanese literature at Saitama University. A vivid blend of dynamic storytelling, bold makeup and music, and dramatic gestures, Kabuki quickly attracted foreign interest.

Although both Noh and Kabuki are steeped in centuries of tradition, innovations such as extended reality (XR), immersive stages, and adaptations from popular shows and manga are pushing the boundaries of both mediums.

Here’s what travelers need to know about Noh and Kabuki, how they’re changing, and where you can experience them when visiting Japan.

“Noh is like a ‘mother art’ that artists delve into,” says Julia Yamane, the representative director of Discover Noh in Kyoto. Flutes and drums used in Noh are also utilized by musicians in Japan’s famed festivals, such as Gion Matsuri. Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake incorporated oversized, Noh-inspired silhouettes into his Spring 1995 Ready-to-Wear collection. More recently, James Bond fans may recall No Time to Die’s villain Lyutsifer Safin, played by Rami Malek, donning a Noh-style mask. 

(Japan’s perfect paper still thrives in towns steeped in history.)

Noh’s origin stems from sangaku, a variety of performances introduced from China in the eighth century that included acrobatics, magic, and music. Over time, sangaku evolved into comedies, known as sarugaku. As the art gained popularity during the 14th century, Kan’ami Kiyotsugu, the leader of a prominent sarugaku troupe, and his son began to lay the foundation for Noh. They folded the song and dance elements of dengaku and the spoken comedies of kyōgen to make the dichotomous combination of Nohgaku. Soon after, Kiyotsugu formed the Kanze School, one of the oldest of the five major schools of Noh theater. 

In Tokyo’s affluent Ginza district, travelers can watch shows daily at the Kanze School Noh Theater. To those unfamiliar with Noh, the plays will seem rather static, both physically and dramatically, but they embody an aesthetic of austerity and elegance, unlike Kabuki.