5.The famous programs in Noh

  It is said that it is official that the event of the Noh plays five songs per day. First, the god become “Shitekata” (the chief character of the story). And the chief character of the second piece is a man (a man suffering from an armed fight), the third piece is a woman (a beautiful woman), fourth is a Mad (Madman or woman), fifth is an ogre (brutal person) as know-how to put the different atmosphere together effectively. But it is not completely  decided because it may be played in the first that an ogre is “Shitekata” (last piece) if its content is happy. Noh was played the fifth in a day in old days. However, it is rare that it organizes a program to the fifth in a day now.

 

The current music (music recognized as a program today) of the Noh is approximately 240 pieces. Probably it maybe be "Takasago" to be the most famous. In the banquet of a Japanese style wedding ceremony, Japanese cannot miss "Takasago" that is congratulatory address music. It is great as a program of the Noh, but is the certainly best of various Noh songs. Particularly, it may be “Hagoromo" to be known widely. This program appears in the textbook of the junior high school of Japan. This was based on a Hagoromo myth of Matsubara of Miho. In other, "Adachigahara Atsumori", "Aoinoue”, "Ukai", “Sotoba Komachi " are famous programs.

 

The Noh has one story that concluded every one program. Here, I make “Takasago” an example. Takasago is a story of the time that the Emperor Daigo lived in. The Shinto priest of Kyushu Aso-jinja Shrine drops in the famous spot of Harima country (Hyogo prefecture) Takasago with an attendant in the middle of capital sightseeing. A Shinto priest was waiting for a person, and an old couple appeared. They praised that the way of the 31-syllable Japanese poem prospered in the present times to a Shinto priest. After that, they told that they were the incarnation of the pine tree and Takasago, and the old couple disappeared from a Shinto priest before long. The party of a Shinto priest starts a boat with moonrise chasing after an old couple. Myojin Sumiyoshi of the male figure appeared when I arrived. And Myojin Sumiyoshi blessed the peaceful world. This is a story compiling Takasago. In this way, in a story, a message is put in each.

 

References

http://www.syuneikai.net/information.htm

http://okwave.jp/qa/q8094406.html

4.Various styles of Noh

The style of the Noh is divided in two kinds. The first is the style that is called Yamato medieval Noh farce fourth-important qualified actor(Yamato Sarugaku Yonza). The second is the Noh that is native thing of the various part of Japan except the Yamato medieval Noh farce fourth-important qualified actor. It is four styles, “Kanse-za”, “Syouho-za”, “Konparu-za” and “Kongo-za”. Furthermore, it may be called “Ichiryu-Yonza”. It puts the Kita-style divided from the Kongo-za in thr Edo era together. After the outbreak of the Kita-style, it continued extending the power, and it was said that it was equal with other four styles for the Meiji period. The Kita-style doesn’t make a system to call “Za” since the style was found, and it is called “Yon-za Ichiryu” not “Go-za” because it was not called Kita-za.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi let Yamato medieval Noh farce fourth-important qualified actor absorb other medieval Noh farces. Therefore it had most of the medieval Noh farces of Japan as an affiliate virtually when the Edo era began. Today, Noh players of the system of the “Yon-za Ichiryu” organize association of corporate judicial person Noh, and a person joining association of Noh is placed with the Noh player as the careerist. On the other hand, there is the area where the Noh which was not unified by the Yamato medieval Noh farce fourth-important qualified actor remains in and can whatch the program which is not played with the “Yon-za Ichiryu” and peculiar dance. For a famous thing, there is Kurokawa Noh handed down to Kasuga Shrine of Yamagata, Osudo Noh divided from Noh of Kurokawa district.

Then, I easily explain the forth-important qualified actor. Kanse-style is the  mainstream style which Kanami of Yamato medieval Noh farce that prospred in Nara early in the Muromachi era completed. It have an elegant, delicate style. Hosho-style was completed by Hoshotayu. It is said that it was protected in last years of Muromachi by Hojo of Odawara. It is a kinsman to Kanze-style for a long time, and the style is near, too. There is a base in Tokyo and Hokuriku and has the style which attached great importance to the splendid chanting of a Noh text. Komparu-style is the family’s social standing that is the oldest in four styles. It bases on Tokyo and Nara, and the relation with Kofuku-ji Temple and Kasuga Taisa Shrine is close. Its feature is free and easy conduct that left an old-fashioned way. Kongo-style’s source is considered that the Sakado-za vested in Horyu-ji Temple for a long time. It play an active part around Kyoto and Tokyo. The characteristic are Realism and daring dance “Kongo-mai”