See also Four Questions: Four Noh Musicians.
Noh Perfomer Profiles
Mikata Shizuka (2024 Festival)
Shizuka was born in Kyoto in 1966 the eldest son of the Noh actor Ken Mikata. Shizuka studied under Yusetsu Katayama, a Living National Treasure and received the Kyoto City Arts Newcomer Award (2001) and the Encouragement Award of the Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Prize (2004). Shizuka is praised for his “precise acting and rich sensitivity” which creates a unique aesthetic. He produces the Teatre Noh project which aims to create a new perspective on Noh by its choice of themes and spaces. His ultimate goal is to integrate modernity and tradition so as to keep Noh alive and relevant for today.
Mikuriya Seigo (2024 Festival)
Seigo was born in 1973 in Kitakyushu City. In 1996, he became a student of the Shimogakari Hosho School while training as a stage performer at the National Noh Theatre. He was afterwards apprenticed under the late Hosho Kan (12th generation head of the Hosho school and Living National Treasure). Seigo has performed in important pieces such as Takasago, and the hidden masterpiece Choryo. He actively performs in Tokyo, his hometown of Kyushu, and has performed overseas in China, Greece, and Denmark.
Yamanaka Gasho (2024 Festival)
Gasho was born into a traditional Noh family and made his stage debut at the age of two. Gasho is associated with the Umewaka kai. Gasho actively explores the profundity of Noh, and participates in diverse activities such as film and stage performances, as well as delivering lectures to audiences of all ages and levels of knowledge about Noh.
Kawaguchi Kohei (2024 Festival)
Born in 1976 in Tokyo, Kohei the eldest son of the manga artist Kawaguchi Kaiji, has always been fascinated by Noh during his studies at Keio University, Kohei decided to follow the path of Noh and became an apprentice under the 56th Umewaka Rokuro (Umewaka Minoru Rohsetsu) in 2001. Kohei has performed many of the important Noh pieces including Okina, Sakkyo, Shojomidare, and Dojoji.
Kobayakawa Yasuki (2024 Festival)
Yasuki was born in 1990 and studied under his father, Osamu Kobayakawa, and the master, Masakuni Asami. His first performances were in the Noh play Eboshi-ori (2002) and the role of Chitose in the Noh play Okina (2003). After graduating from the Tokyo University of the Arts in 2013, he has performed noted roles in Shakkyo and Ran. More recently, in 2021, he performed in Dojoji.
Kobayakawa Yasumitsu (2024 Festival)
Yasumitsu is the brother of Kobayakawa Yasuki (see above). Yasumi was born in 1997 and also studied under his father, Osamu Kobayakawa, and the master, Masakuni Asami. Yasumitsu made his stage debut in 2000, performing in Tsuru-Kame. He continued to build his career with notable performances such as the role of Chitose (2007) and in the Noh play Eboshi-ori (2009). He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts and, in 2023, he performed in Shōjō.
Narita Tatsushi (2016, 2024 Festivals)
(Ko-tsuzumi) shoulder drum
Born in 1964 in Kobe, Tatsushi learnt kotsuzumi under Hiroaki Sowa, a Living National Treasure. As one of the most sought-after kotsuzumi exponents, Narita has actively performed overseas, notably at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Athens Festival in Greece, and at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. He is a director of the Nohgaku Performers Association. In 2016, Narita received the prestigious Newcomer Award from the Japanese government.
Yamamoto Tetsuya (2024 Festival)
Tetsuya was born in 1966 and was apprenticed under his father, Takashi Yamamoto, and the late Tadao Kamei, a Living National Treasure. His first Noh performance was in 1978 with Tsunemasa. In 1986, he performed in Okina, followed by Dojoji in 1988. In 2002, he co-founded the TTR Noh Project with Tatsushi Narita. The project received the Osaka Cultural Festival Award in 2017. Tetsuya received the Excellence Award of the 2018 Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Festival.
Sako Yasuhiro (2024 Festival)
Yasuhiro Sako was born in 1966 in Hyogo Prefecture , and currently resides in Kyoto. Yasuhiro studied Nohkan under Ichikazu Sugi. Yasuhiro is a director of the Kyoto Nohgaku Hayashikata Association and organises “Koh-no-kai” group. He made his debut in 1990 performing in Yoshino Tenjin. Sako believes that Nohkan melodies have the power to awaken something deep within our bodies and memories, serving as a bridge between “time immemorial and the present”.
Isso Yukihiro (2016, 2018, 2022 Festivals)
Nohkan Flute
Yukihiro is the eldest son of the late Isso Yukimasa, a prominent nohkan performer of the post-war era. Yukihiro first performed in public at the age of nine and has since appeared in most of the Noh plays in the classical repertoire. As well as the nohkan flute, Yukihiro also plays a variety of other Japanese and Western flutes. He has a deserved reputation for improvisation having performed with the likes of Cecil Taylor, Peter Brötzmann, and John Zorn. He has composed several new pieces for the Noh theatre including Hengenka which was performed in Noh Reimagined 2022. Yukihiro holds the title “Important Intangible Cultural Asset”.
Sano Noboru (2022 Festival)
Noh (shite) main role actor
Noboru was born into a family of Noh performers which includes his legendary uncle Hajime Sano. In 1970, at the age of 10, Noboru became a pupil of Hosho Fusao XVIII, the head of the Hosho School. Subsequently he continued his studies at the Tokyo University of the Arts. After his first performance in 1977, Noboru performed major Noh pieces such as Okina, Shakkyo, Dojoji and Midare. Apart from professional performing, his passion is teaching Noh to young people. To do this he visits schools across Japan throughout the year to give workshops. In 2021, as part of Dance Dance Dance @ YOKOHAMA, the largest dance festival in Japan, Noboru collaborated with a celebrated street dancer SAM to choreograph a new work. He holds the title “Important Intangible Cultural Asset”.
Kawase Takashi (2022 Festival)
Noh (shite) main role actor
Born in Nigata prefecture, Takashi first studied Noh under Hosho Husao XX and Watanabe Junnosuke. After graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts, he began his apprenticeship in Noh with the Hosho school. He has performed many classical Noh pieces and is keen on collaborative works which fuse Noh and other art genres. His workshop group actively operates in Tokyo and his hometown in Nigata. His tenets are not to forget the beginner’s humility, and the unity of body and mind.
Tanabe Kyosuke (2018, 2022 Festivals)
(Ko-tsuzumi) shoulder drum (Okura School)
Born in Nigata, Kyosuke is one of the most sought after kotsuzumi players of the younger generation. His first encounter with Noh was at the Noh circle at Hosei University where he studied law. A professional Noh performance he saw changed his life and subsequently he joined the National Noh Theatre Noh training course. After this he continued studying under Okura Genjiro, a living national treasure of the Okura School. Kyosuke has played in many important Noh pieces including Midare, Okina, Dojoji, and Shakkyo.
He believes studying Noh chant daily helps his Noh music performance which is to support the dancing and chanting of the shite actors.
Ubaura Risa (2022 Festival)
(Taiko) stick drum
Risa is one of the most promising up-and-coming taiko drummers. She started playing the taiko drums at her local bon dance festivals (a Japanese/Buddhist custom to pray for the repose of the souls of ancestors with music, dance and feasting). This led her to undertake rigorous specialist training at the National Noh Theatre, where she studied with taiko masters including Mishima Gentaro and the late Komparu Kunikazu. She constantly aspires to perform the more challenging classical Noh pieces and has recently performed Midare and Shakkyo.
Umano Masaki (2016, 2018 Festival)
Noh (shite) main role actor
Born in 1965 in Kyoto, Masaki Umano is a prominent actor of the Tessenkai group of the Kanze school. Umano first performed on stage at the age of three and performed his first noh at the age of seven. He has performed the lead shite role in numerous plays including Midare, Shakkyo, Dojoji and Mochizuki. A graduate of Tokyo University of Arts, he has performed with the Tessenkai in Germany, Ireland, United States, France, Poland and Greece. Umano has been designated an Important Intangible Cultural Asset by the Japanese government.
Kakihara Mitsuhiro (2016, 2018, 2022 Festivals)
(O-tsuzumi) hip drum
Born in 1972, Mitsuhiro studied the otsuzumi from his father, Takashi Kakihara, a prominent post-war noh performer of the Takayasu school of drumming. Mitsuhiro first performed on stage at the age of seven. Today, he performs regularly in the Tokyo area and is passionate about training the younger generation of noh performers. Mitsuhiro is a graduate of Tokyo University of Arts and has been designated an Important Intangible Cultural Asset by the Japanese government.
Yoshitani Kiyoshi (2016, 2018 Festivals)
(Taiko) stick drum
Yoshitani Kiyoshi started performing Taiko at the age of 11 when he became apprenticed to the legendary Uemon Komparu the 22nd. Since 1995, Yoshitami has performed throughout Japan and he is acknowledged as one of the finest Taiko performers of the Noh repertoire. Based in Fukuoka, South Japan, he has reached out to Okinawa to teach Noh to local musicians. His collaboration with Okinawan musicians includes famous folk singer Misako Oshiro. He has been designated an “Important Intangible Cultural Asset” by the Japanese government.
Jiichi Asami (2018 Festival)
Noh (shite) main role actor
Jiichi is a renowned Noh actor of the Kanze School. He studied under his father, Masataka Asami, and the late Tetsunojo Kanze VIII. He made his Noh theatre debut at the age of three performing Shimai (Noh dance) and “Oimatsu” (The Old Pine Tree). He is active in overseas performances, new and revived Noh works, and collaborations with other arts forms including films. Asami assists with Yoyogi Kachokai, a Noh performance group, which is directed by his father, and periodically holds performances at the Yoyogi Noh theatre, the only outdoor Noh theatre in Tokyo. Asami has been designated an “Important Intangible Cultural Asset” by the Japanese government
Kanze Yoshimasa (2016 Festival)
Noh (shite) main dancer-actor
Kanze Yoshimasa is widely known as one of the most prominent Noh performers of the Kanze school (one of the five schools of the shitekata or main role of noh) today. Yoshimasa was born in Tokyo in 1970 and is the eldest son of legendary Yoshiyuki Kanze, the third-generation master of the Yarai Kanze school of Noh that split from the school of Tetsunojo Kanze in the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Yoshimasa performed for the first time on the stage at the age of two years and seven months, when he danced an Oimatsu. His first Noh performance was in 1975 and since then he has performed the important Noh roles of Sagi, Ran, Shakkyo, Okina, Dojoji and Sotoba Komachi. He is a member of the Kamiasobi group which he founded with other Noh performers in the aim to offer experiences of Noh to new audiences. He has been designated an “Important Intangible Cultural Asset” by the Japanese government.
Official Website : http://kamiasobi.com/
