The 64th Kamakura Takigi Noh, the bonfire Noh performance, was dedicated on October 7, 2022, at Kamakura Shrine.
The program included ”Suutai ”Okina” , ”Kanenone” and Noh “Ebira”.
　The video includes the above program along with the preceding Shinto ritual, partially edited.
On performance day,”Kane No Ne” was also dedicated,But due to production issues, only “Okina”and “Ebira” will be streamed.
　We regret the fact that the event did not allow for live audience in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection. For our long-time Takigi Noh fans, we hope that this streaming will provide for the opportunity to enjoy this year’s performance, and for those of you who have never been able to make it to Kamakura in the past years, the first Takigi Noh experience, on-line.
　We appreciate your understanding and support as we strive to continue the tradition of historic Kamakura Takigi Noh in the future years to come.
　 Noh is a performing art with long history. Its origin may be various preceding dances, music, and other performances. Around Japan’s Muromachi period, in the 14th to the 16th centuries, noh had established its present style. Reflecting its origins, a noh play consists of dances, chorus, and musical instrument’s play. It resembles western musicals, but it could differ in that noh plays respect established patterns and ways of performance. Everything is precisely defined, including the way to dance and sing, and performers are required to show their originality within the rigidly defined framework.
One of the performances of this year’s Kamakura Takiginoh, Okina, reflects the old style of noh, in which ceremonial characteristics dominate. The other noh performance, Ebira, depicts a popular performance style, in which the main player (shite) and supporting player (waki) appear.
In many cases, the noh stage is composed of two parts. For the case of Ebira, the main player in the first stage is a local man, telling the story of a warrior to a traveling priest (waki). At the end of the stage, the local man suggests that he is the ghost of the warrior and disappears.
The main player in the second stage of Ebira represents the warrior himself, who has sent to the hell because of his killing as a warrior before his death. He shows and tells his agony and hard times in the hell, and asks the priest for salvation. The story may suggest the accusation against killing and the power of Buddhism to save people. Each noh play simply depicts a story, and the audience gets a message from the play. The message may vary from person to person, based on his or her own experience and belief.
　Kyogen has the same origin as noh, but kyogen is different from noh in that kyogen is a comical performance depicting silly and humanistic aspects of people. In many kyogen plays, Taro-kaja, a servant, represents a humorous character and makes troubles with his master.
【The 64th Kamakura Takiginoh】
【place】 Kamakura Shrine　(Kamakuraguu)　
【program】
Su-utai”Okina”(noh lyrics without music)(The Komparu School)
Norikazu Komparu (The 81st grandmaster of the Komparu School)
Ji-utai(chorus)
Hachiro tsujii
Tsunao Yamai
Yoshiki Honda
Fuyuki Honda
Masahiro Nakamura　
Noh"Ebira"(The Komparu School)
Shite - Yasuaki Komparu
Waki - Yoshihiro Tateda
Waki - tsure - Masayoshi Umemura
Ai - Go Iida
Fue - Ryuichi Onodera
Kotsuzumi - Takashi Mori
Otsuzumi - Eitaro Okura
Koken - Yoshiaki Inoue
Mayuko Kashiwazaki
Ji - utai
Hachiro tsujii
Tsunao Yamai
Yoshiki Honda
Fuyuki Honda
Masahiro Nakamura　
【Cosponsors】
Nojima Corporration
Isuzu Motors Shutoken Kabushikigaisha
Kanagawa Toyota Motor Sales Co.,Ltd
Joint Organizer
Kamakura City
Organizer / Production & Copyright
Kamakura City Tourist Association
【Program】
OKINA（素謡 翁）
Okina is a special version of noh play. In fact, it is a ceremony rather than a play, praying for peaceful and prosperous time and life. The performance this year involves only singing or utai without dances.
EBIRA（能 箙）
A priest comes to see Kyoto and finds a fine ume, Japanese apricot tree, in full blossom along the river of Ikuta. A man there tells him it is called the “Ebira no ume,” because Kajiwara no Kagesue, a young warrior of Genji, carried a branch of ume in his arrow case, ebira, on his back during the battle and defeated the enemy. He reveals himself as the ghost of the warrior and disappears. Later in the priest’s dream, Kagesue in armor describes his braveness in the battle and the torment or pain which he suffers in the hell after death.
The 64th Kamakura Takiginoh was made possible through the Kanagawa Prefectural MAGCUL,Deployment Promotion Subsidy.