Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2022 - 23

the 15th century, Kyogen was performed
with Noh (Salz, 68).
Nohgaku invokes Noh and Kyogen
and sometimes includes Okina or ShikiSanban
(the formal term), which is performed
for celebratory occasions or to
celebrate the new year. Okina's performance
is for praying for the peace and
security of Japan and a bountiful harvest,
which contains the essence of the
Shinto ritual. When they perform Okina,
all the performers (including musicians)
must purify before the performance.
According to the website the-NOH.com,
" The term Nohgaku took root in 1881
when members of the nobility established
Nohgakusha, a support group for
Nohgaku. In this period, the indoor Noh
theatre style was led by a new Noh stage
built by Nohgakusha, called Momijiyama
Noh Theatre in Shiba Park, or Shiba Noh
Theatre "
(db2.the-noh.com). Because
Noh and Kyogen were developed from
Saru-Gaku, it is natural to use Nohgaku
as the term for both performances when
they started being performed together;
Kyogen contains strong elements of the
Saru-Gaku entertainment's essence.
Some people still call the art form Noh,
but calling it Nohgaku better represents
both components.
The Nohgaku
stages were
originally
outdoors or inside of the temples'
properties. Many Shinto temples have
Kagura-den, which is the stage for religious
dance and ceremonies. The architecture
style and structure of Kagura-den
are very similar to the basic structure
of the Nohgaku theatre, which uses a
minimal number of columns and walls
in an open-aired, raised platform architectural
style. In The Japanese Taste
in Architectural Style of Modern Noh
Theatre, Shinichiro Tsuji notes that the
audience area has changed throughout
the years. However, the style of the Noh
theatre stage has not changed since medieval
times (circa 14th century) in Japan
(Tsuji 2020, 921). Understanding the
traditional Japanese architecture might
help create a better understanding of
the virtual Noh theatre stage, especially
for the materials and colors of the stage.
Additionally, understanding traditional
Japanese architecture and how religious
ideas influence Japanese architecture
can help students better understand the
relationship between Noh plays and major
religions in Japan.
Nohgaku Theatre floor plan with definitions | Courtesy Naoko Skala.
Connecting Theatre and Religion
Noh and Japanese religion, especially
Japanese Buddhism, are deeply connected,
and the development of Japanese
traditional architecture and major
Japanese religions are influenced by each
other. Understanding the relationship
between architectural history and religion
is essential for learning Noh plays
and Nohgaku theatre. Shintoism and
Buddhism are the two major religions in
Japan today, yet most Japanese religions
are not categorized clearly. For Japanese
people, religion " means the religion that
each family has had since ancient times
for the purpose of worshipping their ancestors
has stayed with the household "
(Kodansha International 2000, 195-196).
The Japanese Yearbook of Religions by
the Agency for Cultural Affairs (2020)
shows that among Japanese religious believers
or followers, about 49 percent follow
Shintoism, while 46 percent follow
Buddhism.
Shintoism in Japan developed alongside
Buddhism, building upon various
existing belief systems that were not considered
identifiable or formed religions.
These beliefs and the idea that all natural
objects and phenomena are considered
deities is called Yaoyorozu-no-kami (8
million deities). In Shinto, Nature, and
Ideology in Contemporary Japan: Making
Sacred Forests, Aike Rots
describes
Shinto " as Japan's 'indigenous religion
and portrayed as an ancient tradition,
closely related to Japanese culture and
society, which has successfully adapted
itself to changing historical circumstances,
while its essence has remained more
or
less
unchanged
since
prehistoric
times " (Rots 2017, 25).
In The Genius of Japanese Carpentry:
Secrets of an Ancient Craft, Azby Brown
also explains that " as a form of animism,
Shinto ascribes consciousness and personality
to natural forces, geological formations,
and non-human living things.
Certain mountains are held sacred, as are
parts of forests and even particular trees.
The presence and will of these deities, or
Kami (Shinto god), pervaded everything "
(Brown 2014, 24). Because using wood
for a building is the idea of natural endowments,
when Japanese people build
something, many tend to invite a Shinto
priest and pray for peace and security for
the building and the people who use the
building.
According to Talking about Japan
Updated Q&A (2000), Buddhism
reached Japan in 538 via China and
Korea. However, Dale Saunders (1964)
argues in Buddhism in Japan that the
introduction of Buddhism to Japan from
Korea was in 552 AD, but " there is no
doubt, however, that the Japanese Court,
at least, must have had cognizance of the
religion before then " (Saunders 1964,
91). Some conflicts of acceptance in the
Japanese court for Buddhism caused
arguments between scholars about the
year of Buddhism's arrival. " Some felt
that the polite thing was for the Japanese,
after the example of other civilized
countries, to adopt the new religion, but
WINTER 2022 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | 23
http://www.the-NOH.com http://db2.the-noh.com
Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2022

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