YEREVAN. – Two performances of Hosho School presenting traditional Japanese “Noh” theater took place in Yerevan.

The Armenian audience enjoyed the performances on September 26 at Puppet Theater after Tumanyan and on September 27 in Komitas Museum-Institute. The idea of holding tours was realized thanks to the friend, Ambassador of Japan to Armenia Eiji Taguchi.

A group consisting of nine people was on stage: Masayuki Fujii, his eldest son Shuga Fujii, Manjirō Tatsumi, his eldest son Kazuma Tatsumi, Satoko Kashiwayama, Eitaro Okura, Kayu Omura, Takahisa Suda, Yoko Kamiyabu will please Armenian audience with their  performance.

Masayuki Fujii first delivered a lecture presenting traditional “Noh” theater that was followed by 10-15 minute performances:  “Benkey on the ship” and “Land Spiderman” musical instruments, a love story, performed in the form of flamenco. All this is accompanied by large and small drums, ancient Japanese guitars.

Noh (能) is a form of theater involving music, dance and drama, originating in the 14th century. The theater became widespread among the elite. The greatest playwright and theorist of Noh theater Zeami developed direction under the auspices of the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and this art passed from generation to generation. Kabuki Theater also known as traditional Japanese theater, is founded much later, about 200 years ago, when Tokugawa Shogunate was dissolved and became popular among the ordinary people. The traditional Japanese theater “Noh” was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

In Noh theater actors perform in masks. There are masks that are over 200, 300, and even more years old.

The father, the grandfather of the leading actor and teacher of Hosho School of Noh Masayuki Fujii were actors. The son is an actor and the grandson, will be in the theater, too.