NINGAKU

一般財団法人 仁和能楽學舎 NINNA NOH SCHOOL

OUR TEACHERS講師紹介

一流の講師陣が能楽を通して伝える
日本伝統文化の美しさ

仁和能楽學舎では、観世流の
坂井音重師を総合アドバイザーにお迎えし、
一流のキャリアを持つ能楽師を講師として招聘しました。
建学の理念に賛同いただき、ユネスコ無形文化遺産日本第一号に認定された
能楽の素晴らしさを共有したいという想いでレクチャーします。

Learn with the best teachers and discover the beauty of Japanese tradition through Nohgaku

At Ningaku, our Nohgaku teachers (from shite kata roles to hayashi musicians) are high-class professionals. Otoshige Sakai from the Kanze school is our general adviser. All teachers share our vision and work with us, driven by a desire to show the beauty of Nohgaku, the first piece of Japanese culture to be included in UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Adviser

Otoshige Sakai

社団法人 観世会 顧問
FEC 民間外交推進協会・日露文化経済委員会 委員
重要無形文化財総合指定者
前・財団法人 野村文華財団 評議員
慶應義塾大学 名誉博士

Creating a place where the esthetic
beauty of Nohgaku may shine.

Many people think Nohgaku is old-fashioned or too complex to grasp. However, I believe it is rather a question of underlying ability, by which I mean the innate sense of beauty which the Japanese nurture.

We set up Ningaku because we really wanted to rekindle this esthetic appeal in people’s hearts through the experience of Nohgaku.

Nohgaku has a long history that dates back more than 600 years. It has changed through the generations, although the desire to spread peace and happiness has been kept intact. What about our contemporary world? Everything has become more efficient and diversity is increasingly valued. As a result, I feel that the manners the Japanese used to cherish and their strong relationships are fading away.

Nowadays, the contrast between past and present, between our ideals and reality is obvious, which is why I believe Nohgaku has a role to play in rekindling the natural values and sense of beauty in people’s hearts.

You might wonder how to prepare yourself to learn Nohgaku.

For me, what is important is to free your mind and get ready to accept others. I invite you to let your mind and body relax and enjoy the quietness of Nohgaku. If you can reach that state, what you will learn will go straight to your heart, transform you gradually, and open the doors to a new world.

At Ningaku, we aim to “share a blooming state of mind” and to become a place that will spread Nohgaku’s sense of beauty to the whole world.

Teacher

Otomasa Sakai

重要無形文化財総合保持者
観世流 シテ方 能楽師

If you think watching is enough,
then you should learn.

The beauty of Nohgaku lies in delicate and precise gestures, poetic expression and the precision that enables anyone to dance at a high level while following a script.

When I talk about this some people tell me, “But Nohgaku is difficult, isn’t it?” Is it really though? Personally, I believe the more difficult a task is, the more interesting and fun it is to get better at it.

I agree that there is a lot to learn from just watching Nohgaku and reading Kanami and Zeami’s writings. However, you will probably realize there is more to discover by climbing up on stage, where the teachings they left us are condensed.

First, enjoy the small pleasures of practicing: fastening the metallic clasps of your white tabi socks, passing your arm through a kimono sleeve… For us, there is no higher satisfaction than seeing people wanting to know more about the spirit and refinement Nohgaku performers have passed on and nurtured for hundreds of years. I hope you will enjoy a profound and delightful Nohgaku experience, while stepping away from your daily life for a moment.

Teacher

Ototaka Sakai

重要無形文化財総合保持者
観世流 シテ方 能楽師

All aspects of Japanese traditional culture
are gathered in Nohgaku.

The first thing that attracted me to Nohgaku is the hayashi musicians: the beautiful melody of the flute, the pulse of the tsuzumi drum… I can still remember the overwhelming feeling of the rhythm sending a shiver through my whole body while listening to them. There are many other attractions in Nohgaku, such as the perfection of the choreography, the literary depth of the texts, the strength of the songs, the beautiful masks, the gorgeous and colorful costumes, etc. Many people think Nohgaku echoes tea ceremonies or ikebana flower arrangements. Whichever way you come to it, you will always find what you are looking for. For this reason, we might say that all aspects of Japanese traditional culture are gathered in Nohgaku.

Recently, Nohgaku has been gaining popularity abroad. The unique songs, artistic masks and costumes are remarkable, but audiences have also been impressed by the quality of the texts, reminiscent of Shakespeare at times.

At Ningaku, our doors are wide open to people from abroad. We want to introduce the sense of wabisabi, the Japanese esthetics of transience and imperfection, that underpins Nohgaku and Japanese culture in general. We are waiting for you!

Teacher

Otoharu Sakai

観世流 シテ方 能楽師

Learning manners while refreshing your mind.
Discover the many charms of Nohgaku.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi… It is said that these famous shoguns of Japanese history found Nohgaku particularly appealing because it allowed them to forget about their daily duties and to free their minds by being transported into a different world for a moment. I believe Nohgaku is a good way to recharge your batteries, get into someone else’s shoes on stage and escape from daily routine.

Nohgaku is also popular among people who want to improve their posture. As the performance is an offering to the gods, the dances and customs are closely linked with courtesy and manners and practicing Nohgaku is a great way to learn theses values. As there are no intense movements, Nohgaku is accessible to anyone, no matter the age.

We live in a time when we know everything that happens throughout the world instantly. In contrast, the tradition of Nohgaku has been passed on for hundreds of years, slowly penetrating the actors’ body and moves. Once you discover this extraordinary world, you will never want to step back.

Bring excitement to your life, come and explore this wonderful world with us!

Teacher

Satoko Tsumura

重要無形文化財総合保持者
観世流 シテ方 能楽師

Learning about Nohgaku is learning about Japan,
learning about Japanese people's spirit

The art of Nohgaku combines dance and music. The approximately 200 plays that were transmitted until today are all complete and independent stories. They are inspired by mythology and popular tales, such as those of Genji, Heike or Ise. The verses combining seven and five syllables give a beautiful rhythm to the text. The story carried along by this melody goes deep into the spectator’s heart. Nohgaku has been passed on and loved by the audience for more than 650 years.

Learning about Nohgaku is getting to know more about Japanese literature and history. Masks and costumes tell us of traditional arts. But above all, plunging into this world of traditions enables to rediscover Japanese people’s spirit. Nohgaku will never stop being fascinating.

狂言 講師

お囃子方 講師