Pop Japan

The traditional theatre art of Noh is said to have been entertaining the Japanese people since the 14th century. The word actually came from the Japanese character for "skill" or "talent." Said to have been developed by Kanami and his son Zeami, the practice was said to be the oldest form of theatre art in Japan.

The themes of Noh plays are actually recreations of traditional Japanese literature or of myths and legends involvin supernatural beings. Noh practitioners have integrated the use of masks, costumes and other props to make the comedic dances more appealing.

The picture depicts a Ko-jo or an old man Noh mask. Photo by The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Licensed under Creative Commons. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

Tags: tradition, noh, skill, talent, japanese character, kanami, zeami, theatre art, japan, ko jo, noh mask, costumes, props, comedy