Noh Theatre at the Japan Foundation Los Angeles - March 13, 2014

Thank you to the Japan Foundation (Los Angeles) for this fantastic program. Also to Tatsushige Udaka Sensei and Haruna Tanaka Sensei for their dedication, and for traveling all this way to share their art.

Misako Ito, Director of the Japan Foundation, gave a welcome address to Tatsushige Udaka and his wife Haruna Tanaka. Both of them are licensed Noh performers of the Kongo School, which is headed by their family. Director Ito, mentioned that she will be leaving us soon, and this might be her farewell event before she heads back to Japan, she will be missed.

 

Maybe I shouldn't say, but one of my favorite parts was that each time some great praise would be placed on Udaka Sensei he would actually blush. Perhaps he's used to have a mask over his face. Though he did say that sometimes if he played a young warrior in a performance he might not wear a mask.

 Normally they only wear the mask and performance kimono during actual performance. During rehearsal and practice regular kimono is fine. We were told that in the early days, Noh was not always done in fancy attire, but even poor kimono. But the Bushi (warrior) began to donate formal attire, and the performers would wear it out of gratitude. But today, it is the norm to wear such formal wear. The masks may be used for hundreds of years; but the kimono will fade over time, so only 100 years of use is done.

 He showed us masks and beautiful kimono. He spoke of the history and development of Noh. Of it's origins, it's current practice, plus with his wife Haruna Tanaka Sensei they spoke of the future too, and the future perhaps for women.

Udaka Sensei treated us to a shortened version of and entire day of Noh performances. Explaining as he did so the story and the principles behind the practice; the order of the plays chosen etc.. His Movement and Chanting simply blew me away. His daily routine of doing Noh plays shows up in his ability to draw us into the play with only his voice, movement, and a fan.

 I've been to many programs on Japanese Culture and Arts. This is by far one of the best I've ever attended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuKPVnAT-gQ
This is a youtube video I found of Udaka Sensei Performing. Not the same event we attended here, but same Sensei.

Tatsushige Udaka in the Noh play 'Sesshoseki', 2002

http://www.noh-udaka.com/en/index.html
http://www.jflalc.org/