The History of Noh Theater on Sado Island

The History of Noh Theater on Sado Island

Noh, sometimes referred to as Nogaku, is a traditional type of musical drama that has been performed for hundreds of years. Noh performances that can be seen today date back to the 14th century but according to some accounts, the kind of Noh that was performed back then was an altered version of a Chinese performance called Sangaku, that was imported to Japan back in the 8th century. Either way, Noh has a long and proud tradition that has been transmitted through generations.

The History of Noh Theater on Sado Island

One of the most renowned Noh actors, and Noh song producers, is known as Zeami. Banished to Sadoshima over 500 years ago, Zeami was loved by the ruling class of Japan and often performed in front of the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. When Yoshimitsu passed away, he was replaced by someone who didn’t share his predecessors sense of art and a string of unfortunate events led to Zeami’s deportation to Sado where he is believed to have lived, and continued performing, from 1429 to 1441.

The History of Noh Theater on Sado Island

Hence, Sadoshima has a long heritage and tradition of Noh, where the art form still thrives and plays an important role for many people. Today, around 30 stages are scattered across the island, making Sado the place in Japan that has the highest number of stages per capita. This is nothing compared to what it was like during the peak of Noh popularity – back then, the island had over 200 stages.

The History of Noh Theater on Sado Island

Although Noh has a history as an art form primarily enjoyed by the upper classes of society, on Sado things are somewhat different. Many of the stages on the island are located within the grounds of shrines, which are an asset that also belong to the villagers. So, for many generations everybody on the island has been able to enjoy this otherwise quite elitist art form, making Noh on Sado more accessible than in many other parts of Japan.

The History of Noh Theater on Sado Island

Most of the performances are held from June to August and many of them are performed on outdoor stages where you don’t even need to pay an entrance fee. There are also workshops available, open to anyone who wishes to try out the basics of Noh themselves. Unfortunately, these are only held in Japanese at the time of writing this article.

The photos in this article were shot during a mysterious nighttime Noh Performance in August at Kumano Shrine in the Hatano area on Sado Island.

佐渡島

新潟県佐渡市

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