Discover Noh Theatre

Noh or No is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Together with the closely-related kyogen farce, it evolved from various popular and aristocratic art forms, including Dengaku, Shirabyoshi, and Gagaku. Kan'ami and his son Zeami brought Noh to its present-day form during the Muromachi period. It would later form the foundation for other dramatic forms such as Kabuki. During the Meiji era, although its governmental patronage was lost, Noh and kyogen received official recognition as two of the three national forms of drama.

Noh is unique in its slow, spartan grace and its use of distinctive masks.

Noh is a chanted drama, and for that reason, some people have dubbed it Japanese opera. However, the singing in Noh involves a limited tonal range, with lengthy, repetitive passages in a narrow dynamic range. Clearly, melody is not at the centre of Noh singing. Still, texts are poetic, relying heavily on the Japanese seven-five rhythms familiar to all who know the earlier waka and the much-later haiku, with an economy of expression, and an abundance of allusion.