Today we attended a lecture by Monica Bethe on Noh. It was a refreshing visit as up until this time most of my interactions with the world of Noh have been through papers and books. It was nice to instead to get a first hand account of the world of Noh, as well as have some ambiguity cleared up. For instance, when I did my first round of research I learned there were 5 categories of Noh plays, however I kept seeing a 6th type “Okina” with no accompanying explanation to why only 5 were regarded when a program could contain a play form a 6th category. It was also clarified that while the 5 categories have loosely existed since Noh’s inception, they were not solidified until the rebirth of Noh in the Edo period. This explained why I had trouble conceptualizing what category some of the earlier plays performed by Zeami would fall into, as those plays were not specifically written with a categorization system in place.
I also had another one of the questions answered, that being on the strictness of the categorization of plays. I had wondered if there were plays that deviated from the main characteristic assigned to their genre, while still considered to be apart of it. The closing “demon play” that we will see tomorrow has a spirit of happiness, and with no demon to be vanquished. I had also wondered about how one selected which of the 5 categories should be paired with one another, and Bethe’s description of a program being akin to a circle of life, starting with the divine and otherworld, to the human, to then return to the supernatural gave me an idea of the balance a program would have.
It was also stimulating to have a frame of reference for the social-political aspect of the Noh performer’s community. The lecturer relayed some touching stories of the community that the Noh performers have built and shared among each others. On the other hand, some felt depressing when compared to my own cultural reference, such as the revelation that Noh performer’s maintain the profession through a lineage, regardless of their children’s initial wishes. Bethe-sensei did relay that most often than not the children of Noh performers are readily interested in continuing the family tradition, so maybe I shouldn’t feel that disappointed in the outcome.
We also got to try out some of the chants commonly exercised by the drummer’s in the Noh musician ensemble, and the accompanying drum beats. I had an image of Noh to be strict and precise, so to learn that the drumming style does not emphasize/prioritize “being on beat” as much as it does “being together”. This lead to some interesting harmonizations, no matter how unintentional they first appear. I really enjoyed this exercise, as it woke me up from the jet-lag I was experiencing, but also it was fun to try to and copy the chants and make the sweeping motions of the accompanying drum. We also briefly learnt on the ways one could carry a fan, particularly when travelling across the stage. That being said I had a lot more fun during the drumming session, more so than the fan display session, probably because my wrists felt funny trying to splay a fan along the underside of my arm, and mostly because I was worried I would hurt the fan in some way. They’re pretty, but gave me lot of anxiety to handle. In a similar train of thought I wonder if Shite actors ever got anxiety from handling priceless masks during their performances?
After the Bethe lecture I tried on the Tabi that I will wear to the Takabyashi Family, and I must say it did feel a little weird! I wasn’t sure why we needed Tabi, but my online search yielded the following result:
Today, not only actors such as shite (the leading actor) but also group reciters and musicians wear white tabi (split-toed socks) when they perform Noh dramas. Although no record shows the exact time when it started, these people on stage wore colored tabi before the Edo era (1596-1868). Probably influenced by the ancient practice, kyogen actors wear colored tabi even today. Also, actors wear white tabi even for daily practice though they do not wear formal costume. As the Noh stage is a sacred area, no one is allowed to step on it barefoot or when wearing regular socks – the-noh.com
We then split into two groups, and I left with Breelyn, Franky, Leah and Tiffany to go to the Nijo Castle. It was quite beautiful, and I took so many pictures. Unfortunately a lot of them are on my DSLR, so I will add them at a later date, but here is some ornate gold trimming on an entrance to the Nijo Castle.
Photography was not allowed inside the castle, however we were allowed to take pictures in the garden. We also met a Japanese local at the Castle who approached us for an informal interview. The man introduced himself as an elementary school teacher working on a school project that I assumed he was going to present to his students. He also had a binder folder with interview cue cards for himself, which I thought was quite endearing, and well prepared on his part. He was very polite and eager, so we decided to answer his questions. He asked us what tourist activities we’ve already done in Kyoto, and where we were from. He seemed very grateful that we participated in his interview (and pleasantly surprised that Leah and Tiffany could responded to him in Japanese). That was a nice experience in itself, as for the most part we’ve merely existed in the same spaces with other Japanese people, but not interacting with them, mostly due to the language barrier. So it was nice to be able to have an interaction that was not purely service or goal oriented (at least on our part).
Also, while seemingly insignificant today I also learnt the name “Tanuki”. From our first day in Kyoto I saw quite a few of the small brown racoon statuettes but I didn’t know who/what they were. Today Leah informed me that they were Tanuki, which it’s nice to finally know their proper name. Lastly, I was able to see a friend! I happen to know a Jamaican woman who lives and works in Osaka as an English Teacher for a private company. She travelled all the way down to Kyoto with her daughter, to visit me. That was very nice, as the last time I saw her was in our home country.
