We woke up to cold and rainy day in Tokyo (snow up north) but fortunately we have indoor activities planned.
The Imperial hotel has the novel idea that "breakfast included" also applies to breakfast in bed so instead of having to get dressed for a buffet breakfast, we had a lovely leisurely room service. Tipping is not expected in any restaurant or hotel which is so nice. No fumbling for your purse wherever you go and waiters and bellhops are very friendly and helpful.
We drove to a beautiful Noh theatre where we were met by the charismatic Mr Manjiri Natsumi, "general holder of important and intangible property", which presumably means something like being attached to the ministry of cultural affairs.
He was wonderful explaining Noh to us. This is an ancient art form performed over 1250 years ago in China. Originally it was a form of prayer which became a performing art. Every Noh stage is devoid of any props or stage curtain. The backdrop depicts a pine tree which is sacred in Japan.
The wooden stage is surrounded by white gravel to better reflect light in the days before stage lighting. The stage has pillars and a roof resembling a house.
Originally it was performed outdoors. Noh became popular in Japan 250 years ago. It is minimalistic with an orchestra of only one or two instruments and just a few performers making it an avant garde art form. They wear masks depicting a spirit.
He was wonderful explaining Noh to us. This is an ancient art form performed over 1250 years ago in China. Originally it was a form of prayer which became a performing art. Every Noh stage is devoid of any props or stage curtain. The backdrop depicts a pine tree which is sacred in Japan.
The wooden stage is surrounded by white gravel to better reflect light in the days before stage lighting. The stage has pillars and a roof resembling a house.
Originally it was performed outdoors. Noh became popular in Japan 250 years ago. It is minimalistic with an orchestra of only one or two instruments and just a few performers making it an avant garde art form. They wear masks depicting a spirit.
Mr Natsumi took us back stage to the communal dressing room. We were told to take shoes and socks off and given white tabi's to wear ( socks with big toe separated from rest of toes) as the stage is sacred ground.
He showed us five ancient wooden masks and illustrated how the slightest inclination of the head changed the expression completely.
The inside of the mask is padded so it balances just right on your head to get the expressions right.
You don't touch the masks with your hands as oil from hands will ruin them. When we tried them on we were instructed to hold them by the silk cord on the sides which the actors helped us tie on. The slits for the eyes are very small and I found it hard to see.
Next we were taken on stage via the multi-coloured curtain at the end of a platform leading to the stage. They believe that behind the curtain the deities and spirits of the past live, and the corridor in front of the curtain connects the past and the present (hence the belief that the stage is sacred ground). The colours in the curtain encompass everything in the universe. This curtain is lifted by raising a rod at the bottom of the curtain on each side with a pole, almost medieval. We had been shown how to glide on to the stage very slowly with knees bent, hands in a fist, arms slightly bent, with your weight on your big toes and squeezing your pinkies, to get the right balance and keep your back straight. It was exhausting to glide on stage slowly like this.
Once we had glided down towards the centre stage in single file looking like chickens with wings flapping, as we weren't very subtle in our arm movements, we were then shown how to illustrate grief or anger, again in this crouched stance and very, very slowly. Nothing in Noh is fast, and it is all mimed with no words spoken. The audience needs to use it's imagination and pick up on very subtle clues like a hand brought to the brow signifying grief etc.
An real actor then came on the stage in his underclothes (white leggings, a shirt and tabi's) and we watched two assistants dress him in the elaborate kimono, fasten the mask and put on his wig. It was a huge production with minute attention to detail.
Finally we were told to go back to the seats of the audience and sit down tow watch a performance. It was the one actor who acted out being a woman, sad, then happy, then flying away (hence the phoenix on his kimono). In the background 4 other actors sat in black kimonos chanting. You can see how Noh started off as a sort of prayer. It was all very slow, very subtle, and absolutely fascinating.
The pine tree in the backdrop is the reflection of a tree they envisage in front of the stage so the actor faces this imaginary tree from which believe a deity will descend. Centuries ago, before and religions existed, people prayed to the sun and nature. Noh derives from that belief.
He showed us five ancient wooden masks and illustrated how the slightest inclination of the head changed the expression completely.
The inside of the mask is padded so it balances just right on your head to get the expressions right.
You don't touch the masks with your hands as oil from hands will ruin them. When we tried them on we were instructed to hold them by the silk cord on the sides which the actors helped us tie on. The slits for the eyes are very small and I found it hard to see.
Next we were taken on stage via the multi-coloured curtain at the end of a platform leading to the stage. They believe that behind the curtain the deities and spirits of the past live, and the corridor in front of the curtain connects the past and the present (hence the belief that the stage is sacred ground). The colours in the curtain encompass everything in the universe. This curtain is lifted by raising a rod at the bottom of the curtain on each side with a pole, almost medieval. We had been shown how to glide on to the stage very slowly with knees bent, hands in a fist, arms slightly bent, with your weight on your big toes and squeezing your pinkies, to get the right balance and keep your back straight. It was exhausting to glide on stage slowly like this.
An real actor then came on the stage in his underclothes (white leggings, a shirt and tabi's) and we watched two assistants dress him in the elaborate kimono, fasten the mask and put on his wig. It was a huge production with minute attention to detail.
The pine tree in the backdrop is the reflection of a tree they envisage in front of the stage so the actor faces this imaginary tree from which believe a deity will descend. Centuries ago, before and religions existed, people prayed to the sun and nature. Noh derives from that belief.
stageprops. Noh is based on the thought that even when everbody sees the same thing with imagination you all imagine other things. It is less explanatory and leaves more to your own imagination. Taking 3 steps on stage means you are moving from Tokyo to Kyoto. They have the roof over the stage to better project the voices. Noh is the oldest performing art form.
After this fascinating workshop we got back into the bus and drove to another area of Tokyo, Asakusa. We wandered around a park with a shrine and some cherry trees taking photo's, before going into lunch at the Waentei Kikko.
lunch at Waentei Kikko:
We sat at floor level on benches, but there was a well under the table so you could stretch your legs. (shoes off, of course, like everywhere we go).
During the traditional Japanese lunch we were entertained by two Shamiken players. This is a musical instrument which uses something that looks like a shoehorn made out of tortoise to stroke three strings on a banjo type of instrument. It makes squeaky noises and again fascinating.
As it was her birthday, Kristin, from our group had a go at it, and reported it was not as easy at is looks.
From here we proceeded to the Shiba district to a park near the Tokyo tower , around Zojoji temple. We spent an hour walking around taking photo's of cherry trees, before going up in the tower to see the city getting dark. The Tokyo tower looks like a red and white Eiffel Tower, but slimmer and less high. It has 333 floors and was built in 1958. It is the second tallest structure in Japan.
After a very cultural day, we had dinner at the hotel, as we were too tired to go elsewhere. Down in the basement area of the hotel, where all the restaurants are, we ended up in a great sushi place where we sat at the bar and watched the chef make our food. It is the first time I tasted sardine sushi, which was delicious. As I kept dropping my rice from the raw fish the chef kindly gave me a lesson on how to hold it properly with your chopsticks. Instead of picking up a piece of sushi from the top, you turn it a quarter turn then wedge the top of the fish and the bottom of the rice between your chopsticks. He was so pleased when after a few attempts we finally caught on.
lunch at Waentei Kikko:
this is Chie-san our Japanese travel agent who organized all elements of our photography trip
We sat at floor level on benches, but there was a well under the table so you could stretch your legs. (shoes off, of course, like everywhere we go).
During the traditional Japanese lunch we were entertained by two Shamiken players. This is a musical instrument which uses something that looks like a shoehorn made out of tortoise to stroke three strings on a banjo type of instrument. It makes squeaky noises and again fascinating.
As it was her birthday, Kristin, from our group had a go at it, and reported it was not as easy at is looks.
After a very cultural day, we had dinner at the hotel, as we were too tired to go elsewhere. Down in the basement area of the hotel, where all the restaurants are, we ended up in a great sushi place where we sat at the bar and watched the chef make our food. It is the first time I tasted sardine sushi, which was delicious. As I kept dropping my rice from the raw fish the chef kindly gave me a lesson on how to hold it properly with your chopsticks. Instead of picking up a piece of sushi from the top, you turn it a quarter turn then wedge the top of the fish and the bottom of the rice between your chopsticks. He was so pleased when after a few attempts we finally caught on.
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