3.Beautiful dresses of the Noh

Dresses that are used in the Noh are called the attire. The representative thing is used as the jacket and it is called "Karaori" Karaori is used by an actress of the woman position, and it may be said that it is the top-class in world stage costume in magnificence. The “Karaori” representing the Noh is high quality textile that weaved a pattern like embroidery with a thread which is various colors like autumn color. Especially, “Karaori” is the average clothing which is style called “the in kimono with no hakama on” of a woman appearing in the Noh.

 (The picture of  Karaori  image offer:the-noh.com)

In old days, Karaori was used by limited person like generals as attire and the Noh costume. The attire of Kanami , Zeami Era was said to have been the rusticity because using everyday clothes , but a gradually luxurious costumes came to be used because it was with a patron , a samurai family, the nobility and a family of the shogunate gave Noh actors and actress their clothes. Furthermore, it came to be given an important post as traditional dancing art combined with the gorgeous culture of Azuchi, Momoyama era. But, in this way, the attire which became the work of art “is not real” for a duty. So, the Noh expresses a duty stylistic and figuratively though attire.

The attire, “False head of hair” to add to a wig or ahead “Headdress” such as formal headwear for court nobles or the crown “Jacket” such as a Happi coat and Kariginu “The dressing” such as Surihaku and Noshime “Jacket or dressing for two uses” such as Karaori and Atsuita “Hakamas” such as a Sashinuki and Hankiri “The other accessory” such as Koshiobi and Koshimino, can classify in seven.

   The Noh costume does not project the duty realistically, but can read various information such as sex, age, social position, an occupation and the character if you know the combination of decided promise by a duty. For example, it is the rule by the color. In attire of woman, “Kouiri” which contains red with the attire express the young woman and “Kounashi” which does not contains red shows the middle-age woman. This applies to many things from wig to waistband as well as the “Karaori”. In addition, the color of a collar includes a rule. White is regarded as important as the color that is purity with the Noh, two pieces of white collar stacks become highest-ranking. The combination of design and colors in Noh costume is freedom if follow the rule.

References

http://www.nohgakuland.com/know/shouzoku/index.htm

http://www.the-noh.com/jp/sekai/costume.html

2.The people who contributed to Noh

The Noh was supported and followed by various people. In this time, I would like to introduce the lives of two persons who contributed to development of the Noh.   

 At first, I introduce Kanami. He adopted elegant dances in the Noh which was mere mimicry art and greatly contributed to development of the Noh. Kanami (from 1333 to June 8, 1384) was a Noh farce player from the period of the northern and southern dynasties in Japan to the Muromachi era. He is the person who completed so-called the Noh with his son Zeami. He is a father of the people of Kanze and the name is Seiji. Kanami who was one of the Yamato yon-za, the founder of the Yuzaki-za made the new entertainment that introduced an unorthodox Noh song and a dance of the sound music of talk into the medieval Noh farce that was previous mimicry art. The famous Noh song “Sotobakomachi” “Zinenkoji” are masterpieces of Kanami. He played the Noh at Asama shrine in Shizuoka prefecture at last and there is the honoring monument.

 

Second, I talk about Zeami. Zeami (from 1363 to September 1, 1443) is a Noh farce player of the Yamato medieval Noh farce Yuzaki-za of the early period of Muromachi era in Japan. He was successful by a medieval Noh farce with Kanami who is his father and leave many books. The Noh play of Kanami and Zeami is inherited as the Kanze School in the present age. His real name is Gensei.

Kanami who was Zeami’s father was an infuluental actor of the Yamato medieval Noh farce at 31 years old when Zeami was born. Zeani appeared to the father’s stage from childhood. When 12-year-old Zeami appeared in the medieval Noh farce that Kanami just held in Kumano in 1374 or 1375, he was caught eye of Muromachi general Yoshimitsu Ashikaga. After that, Yoshimitsu came to protect Kanami and Zeami. Kanami dies in 1384, and Zeami inherits the back of father. Character to respect mysterious profundity was in the noble, samurai family society. Zeami matches the Noh with their preference, and it is thought that he completed “dreams and phantasms Noh” that having the mysterious and profound beauty in words, conduct, singing and dancing. Even if a general was charges of Yoshimochi Ashikaga after death of Yoshimitsu, Zeami let a medieval Noh farce deepen more and more. But, because Yoshimochi likes dengaku than a medieval Noh farce, protection of Shogunate was not received thanthe times of Yoshimitsu. Afterwards, oppression became severe, and he became a priest in 1422.

 references

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A6%B3%E9%98%BF%E5%BC%A5
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%96%E9%98%BF%E5%BC%A5

1.What is Noh?

    Noh is a classical Japanese performance form. It has developed for about 600 years and is one of the oldest performance art all over the world. Most of the chief characters of Noh are ghosts who show the lives that were already concluded. So it seem to be a very mysterious world. You hear that a ghost appears, and you may think Noh to be scary. But, it is not so and is going to draw the human essence and emotions that don’t change by the times or country. 

   

     Its origin is not clear yet. But, it is thought that it came from China in the about seventh century. Originally Noh was called “Sanngaku”. From the Nara era through the Kamakura era, the Noh developed as an entertainment. At first, in the Nara era, “Sanngaku” (to play funny art, mimicry, acrobatic feats and conjuring tricks) and “Gagaku” (to play solemn dance and music) crossed from China. The Gagaku became the ceremonial dance played in the case of the Imperial Court and noble ceremony, the Sanngaku spread out among the common people s entertainment of the temple and shrine. We don’t know how long the word “Noh” was used clearly. But, it seemed to be used as words that express a play for a long time. Noh was divided into two kinds of “Sarugaku Noh” and “Dengaku Noh” from Kamakura era to Muromachi era. The Sarugaku Noh was art mainly on the mimicry. In contrast, the Dengaku Noh was art mainly on a dance figuratively.

    

    Afterwards, Kanami (he developed the Yamato Sarugaku) was recognized by the general Yoshimitsu Ashikaga and went into Kyoto. Kanami adopted factor of musicality and dance characteristics in mimicry-oriented Sarugaku Noh, and his child Zeami established Yugen Noh that pursue the mysterious and profound beauty and brought up the Noh in higher theatrical art. In Edo era, Tokugawa shogunate government protected Noh. Second generation general Hidetada Tokugawa made Noh ceremonial dance of the Shougnate. Noh had deeo-rooted popularity even between the common people. By the end of Tokugawa shougnate government, Noh took the crisis of the collapse. However, in the Meiji period, Noh get the back up of a financial combine and the government VIP and regain as the entertainment that general people can enjoy. These days, Noh is reborn in a modern system through much confusion such as the Meiji Restoration or the war and shows various expanses.

references

http://www.the-noh.com/jp/sekai/history.html

http://www.sense-nohgaku.com/noh/