Special Experience
Kyoto
Enjoy a Kyoto Merchant-Style Celebration With a Noh Actor - With a Sake Toast & Fine Japanese Cuisine
Overview
Noh is a traditional Japanese performing art with a history of over 600 years. In Kyoto, merchants historically performed noh during celebrations. In this experience, you can rent a venue with a noh stage and experience a Kyoto-style celebration with a noh performance. Before the performance, the noh actor will explain the basics of noh, including its costumes and masks. Celebrate a special anniversary in style while enjoying noh and Japanese cuisine.
Key Features
・Located in the heart of Kyoto, surrounded by traditional townhouses, rent a venue with a noh stage and invite a performer for a dance and chanting performance
・Enjoy exquisite Japanese cuisine featuring seasonal ingredients and auspicious motifs—perfect for anniversaries and celebrations
・Various options available, including a live performance by a noh instrument player and a tour of Kyoto's famous sites. Or, opt to see the noh performer dance in costumes and wear Noh masks
*Visitors may also be interested in these other similar plans:
・Discover the World of Noh in a Rural Kyoto Village - Includes Tea & Kyoto Sweets at a Temple
・Explore Japan’s Finest Hospitality With Noh & Tea Ceremony - Includes Private Performance
Kyoto
from
¥184,000 /group
1 - 3 participants
180 min
Available in English
Cancel free up to 11 days before
Details
Noh, an Elegant Kyoto Custom Enlivening Celebratory Occasions
Noh is a classical Japanese theater form that has evolved over 600 years. In 2008, it was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. Traditionally, noh performances were held at shrines and temples to pray for peace, good harvests, health, and marital bliss.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who unified Japan in 1590, and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the fifth shogun of the Edo period (1603–1868), both performed noh. Since the Muromachi period (1336–1573), noh has been popular with both the upper classes and commoners. In the Edo period, merchants adopted noh chants for celebratory speeches at special events. By the Meiji period (1868–1912), some prominent merchants also began performing noh dances.
The venue Kurochiku Momochitarukan is located on Shinmachi Street in Kyoto, an area known for kimono merchants and machishu (wealthy Kyoto merchants) culture. Some merchants who learned noh even built stages in their homes. Kurochiku Momochitarukan is a small banquet hall featuring a cypress noh stage in a townhouse-style building, run by a Japanese crafts seller. You can rent this charming venue exclusively for your party.
Deepen Your Understanding of Noh by Exploring Its Artifacts
The theme of this experience is "celebration." A specially invited noh actor will perform a celebratory dance just for your group. To help you enjoy the performance better, the actor will first introduce you the basics of noh, a musical drama that combines song and dance, performed on special stages with masks and costumes. After the introduction, you’ll enjoy a noh play with the theme of "celebration," featuring an auspicious legend or myth chosen from over 200 noh plays.
You can also get a closer look at the masks and costumes essential to noh performances. You'll see famous masks used in notable performances, like the Hannya mask, representing a vengeful female spirit, and the Shōjō mask of a Chinese fairy who loves drinking. Additionally, explore costumes made with the traditional Japanese technique of karaori (brocade), where colored threads are woven to create raised patterns, with an explanation of the process.
Julia Yamane, representative of Discover Noh in Kyoto, will guide you through this experience and explain the connection between Kyoto's history and noh. "Noh is an ancient Japanese art form with great cultural significance, historically performed for the enthronement of emperors and shoguns. We hope you and your loved ones can experience the celebratory style of Kyoto's merchants, who held high economic and cultural status," she says.
Powerful Yet Graceful Dance by Noh Performers
After the lecture, you'll watch a dance by a noh performer. It's a rare opportunity to see a powerful performance on a full-scale stage painted with pine trees. You'll feel the tension in the performer’s dignified postures and movements, experiencing the shifting atmosphere with each breath, which will enhance your appreciation of the art.
For an additional fee, you can also have a noh instrument performer, known as "Hayashikata," join the performance. They play a flute, a small drum (Kotsuzumi), or a large drum (Otsuzumi), enhancing the performance and musical score. Additionally, there is a special option where the noh performer wears an exquisite costume and mask, typically reserved for formal performances.
Experience Lively Celebratory Utai, a Sake Toast, and a Japanese Cuisine
Utai is traditionally sung at weddings and longevity celebrations. In this plan, the noh performer will sing a special auspicious utai song after the dance.
After the chanting, the noh actor congratulates your group, and it's time to toast with sake cups. Soon after, a celebratory cuisine will be served. In Japan, it’s customary to have sekihan (red rice) with red beans and glutinous rice for special occasions, shaped like a gourd, a symbol of celebration.
Celebrate a Special Anniversary in Traditional Kyoto Style
Noh is a traditional art form with deep historical roots, passed down through generations. For over 1,000 years, Kyoto has been Japan's capital and cultural center, and noh has been an integral part of life there. "Unlike other traditional cultures, noh is still not widely known globally. I hope for more people to experience the wonder of the world of noh," says Julia.
We can also create a custom tour based on your requests. In central Kyoto, you’ll find many traditional craft shops, temples, and attractions, including sites related to noh. Why not spend a special anniversary like a Kyoto merchant, celebrating with noh and Japanese cuisine?
Discover Noh in Kyoto / Kurochiku Momochitarukan
Discover Noh in Kyoto / Kurochiku Momochitarukan
Discover Noh in Kyoto
The organization aims to foster a deeper understanding and broader appreciation of noh, a traditional Japanese performing art. They engage in various activities such as tourism services, event planning, workshops, and tours catered to inbound tourists and foreign residents in Kyoto. Additionally, they offer interpreter guide courses and educational programs centered around noh for international students and enthusiasts.
Kurochiku Momochitarukan
A small banquet hall on Shinmachi-dori, a central Kyoto street with a traditional machiya atmosphere. It hosts traditional wedding ceremonies, including the kakonshiki, where guests are invited to the groom's home for a feast. With a stunning cypress noh stage, this venue is a popular choice for weddings and banquets.
Location
Kurochiku Momochitarukan
Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto
Request for booking
October 2024
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If your first choice is not available, we will confirm your booking based on your other preferred dates and times.
Additional Options
If the total number of participant is more the 4, please select additional fee for cuisine as below.
Additional fee for cuisine/ person
JPY 8,800
0
Select this option for a city walking tour guided by a noh expert.
City walking tour (+180min) / group
JPY 41,800
0
To watch a Noh chanting accompanied by a live noh instrument performance, select this option.
Live music performance (+30min) / group
JPY 55,000
0
To watch a dance performed by a noh performer in costume and mask, select this option.
Noh dance with costume and mask (+15min) / group
JPY 165,000
0
Experience fee
Group fee (1 participants)
JPY 184,000
Price may change after date is selected.
Additional options fee
Interpretation in English
JPY 0
Other
Service fee (5%)
JPY 9,200
Total Price
JPY 193,200
tax & service fee incl.
Extra charges may apply for the following
- ・Interpretation / Dependant on experience schedule and language
- ・Optional add-ons / Souvenirs, delivery, etc.
Kyoto
from
¥184,000 /group
1 - 3 participants
180 min
Available in English
Cancel free up to 11 days before
Things to know
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please contact us using the form below.
We also accept bookings from corporate clients and travel agencies.