Explore Japan’s Finest Hospitality With Noh & Tea Ceremony - Includes Private Performance

Step into the World of Noh, a Historic Art Beloved by the Samurai

One of the world’s oldest theatrical forms that is still regularly performed, the art of noh brings together simple yet stylized movements, beautifully crafted costumes and masks, traditional tales, and more for a uniquely Japanese performance. 

The dignified noh theater, complete with the traditional pine tree backdrop

Originally carried out at temples and shrines to pray for bountiful harvests, good fortune, and so on, it was beloved by the upper class of centuries ago, including the aristocracy, merchants, and samurai. Even Tokugawa Ieyasu - the shogun known as one of the three “Great Unifiers” of Japan - both appreciated and practiced noh since childhood. In 2008, it was recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

This Wabunka experience will transport you into the fascinating world of noh, giving you a taste of not only its stage elements, but also its intimate connection with tea ceremony as a form of hospitality. It will take place inside the Shinyo Kaikan, which houses a dignified tea ceremony room and noh theater while also retaining contemporary comforts. Despite being a 2-minute walk from Kyoto’s Kitaoji Station, its graceful interior and charming tea garden will take you far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Noh has been passed from generation to generation for over 600 years

Understand the History of Noh and Tea Ceremony as Japan’s Finest Forms of Hospitality

Your experience will begin with an introduction to the fundamentals of noh, after which you’ll learn about its deep relationship with tea ceremony with Michiko Wakebayashi, a tea master at the Urasenke school whose family has practiced at this site for three generations. Her husband, Michiharu Wakebayashi, is a noh actor and director of the Association of the Kanze School.

Learn about the connection between noh and tea ceremony

At first glance, noh and tea ceremony may seem completely separate, but they are essential parts of Japanese culture that have been inexorably linked over the centuries. Both were historically viewed as the greatest hospitality a host could provide; at the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1868), vassals would welcome shoguns and daimyos at home by holding a tea ceremony, then entertaining them with noh. Furthermore, both arts were heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism, leading them to develop similar aesthetics and principles. 

Noh and tea ceremony share similar aesthetics that value simplicity

Engage Your Senses and Enjoy the Spirit of Hospitality Through Tea Ceremony

Take part in a tea ceremony with a new appreciation of its connections to noh, which extends to how they encourage you to actively engage your senses. You may find pleasure in noticing the subtle details, like the bubbling of hot water waiting to be poured, the fragrances of matcha and incense, and the precise movements of your host - all things that are easy to overlook in a hectic modern lifestyle.

Every movement Wakebayashi makes has a purpose

Before drinking the matcha, prepare your palate with exquisite wagashi (traditional sweets) from a long-established store patronized by Wakebayashi. Also, be sure to observe the fine workmanship of each of her utensils, which include ceramics passed down through the generations and personally sourced by her in Kyoto. If you’d like, you can even use them to try whisking tea yourself.

Savor the sensations of drinking delicious matcha from a beautiful tea bowl

In addition to historical context, Wakebayashi hopes that the tea ceremony will help visitors to understand first hand the spirit of Japanese hospitality, which is made possible by the care and consideration displayed by both the host and guests. All of this will prepare you to step even further into the world of noh.

Take to the Stage to Learn About Masks, Moving Like a Noh Actor, and More

After the tea ceremony, enter the dignified noh stage where you’ll be drawn into Yashima, a play centered around the legendary samurai Minamoto no Yoshitsune. As you view treasured masks, striking fans, and pure silk costumes, learn from a professional noh actor based in Kyoto about how they are used and the significance behind them. 

A practicing noh actor will bring you into the world of Yashima through costumes and more

For example, you might compare the stern expression of the heita mask worn to portray heroes in “kachishura-mono” (plays about triumphant battles), including Yoshitsune himself, to a chujo mask, which evokes the elegant atmosphere of a nobleman. You’ll also gain further insights into noh’s practitioners and audiences and its role in Japanese hospitality.

A genteel chujo mask with a stern heita mask

Next, it’s time to experience noh dance through the kamae posture and hakobi walking style. Though at first it may be challenging to maintain your balance while gliding around the stage and keeping your arms suitably bent, the actor’s careful guidance will help you to grasp the essence of these fundamental elements. 

Bring yourself into the correct posture with the help of the actor

During this, you may even be given a rare opportunity to try on a model mask, which will give you a sense of the extra weight and limited vision it causes during formal performances.

A wakaonna mask representing a young woman

Observe an Otherworldly Noh Performance

Now that you’ve tried noh yourself, engage all of your senses once more as you watch the actor in a private performance, which will be selected to match the preceding tea ceremony or the current season.

Each movement seems simple, but can hold multitudes of meaning

There is no definitive way to enjoy noh; like the tea ceremony, you might begin with certain details, from the tone of the actor’s chanting to the way light and shadow play across his face. You may also notice the gravity of the seemingly simple kata - patterns of movement that make up every dance in noh - that have been refined for generations, paying respect to the practitioners who came before.

The noh actor will perform in a montsuki costume, which bears samurai crests

For an extra fee, you can also request for the performer to wear a costume and mask generally used only for formal performances.

Finally, return to the tea ceremony room for some last remarks about noh and tea ceremony, as well as a casual chat. Feel free to share your impressions of the performance and the experience overall, as well as ask more questions. To learn even more, add on a custom tour of nearby noh-related spots, from Zen temples to noh fan shops.

Insights Into Japanese Hospitality and Culture That Will Enrich Your Everyday Life 

This experience is a rare opportunity to not only indulge in the best of what Japan’s hospitality has to offer but also gain genuine insights into the culture of tea ceremony and noh. Your tea ceremony expert, Michiko Wakebayashi, particularly hopes that you’ll go home with a sense of the care and consideration shared by the host and guests, an important part of Japanese culture that may enrich your own life.

Wakebayashi’s tea ceremony will give you much more than a cup of tea

Similarly, learning with a practicing noh actor will give you a unique appreciation of this historic art from an aesthetic, cultural, and physical point of view. Regardless of your interpretation, this experience is sure to endure as a special memory of your time in Kyoto.

Like the stage’s pine tree, your memories of this experience will stay evergreen