Japanese Traditional Dance in Tokyo: Up-Close Performance, Ozashiki Culture, and Kaiseki at a Historic Ryotei

Wakayagi-ryu: One of the Five Great Schools of Nihon-buyo Dance

Wakayagi-ryu is one of the five major schools of Nihon-buyo dance. It is a historic school, founded during the Meiji period (1868-1912), and still widely taught and performed across Japan today. The broader performance tradition of Nihon-buyo dance developed under the influence of sacred dances offered to the gods, kabuki, noh, and other art forms. It is conceived of as the fusion of three key elements: odori (rhythmic dance), mai (dance of refined movements and poses), and shigusa (pantomime, or dramatic expression through gesture), and expresses scenes of seasonality and emotion. Its origins are said to stretch back to the age of myth, attested to in mentions of dances offered in prayer to the gods in some of Japan’s oldest surviving written records and deeply bound to the spiritual culture and aesthetic sensibility of the Japanese people.

Guests are welcomed by Kimiko Wakayagi, a dancer and instructor who has dedicated many years to the Wakayagi-ryu tradition. Her broad repertoire ranges from delicate and graceful onna-odori (“women’s dances”) to powerful and sharply defined otoko-odori (“men’s dances”), as well as su-odori (“unadorned dances”) which accentuate the movements of the body. Having passed the Wakayagi-ryu’s inaugural Specialist Master Instructor Examination, she holds a high-level teaching qualification from the school. Her performance is also highly acclaimed, and has claimed numerous top prizes at national-level Nihon-buyo dance competitions.

For her instruction of a student awarded a Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Wakayagi has been recognized with the Outstanding Instruction Award. She has also served as the general producer for Nihon-buyo showcase performances and is a specialist in shosa instruction, coaching actors in period shows on historically appropriate movement, bearing, and manners. Through this work, she has connected people from across different generations with the joy of Nihon-buyo. Wakayagi says that, guided by her wish to “share Japan’s beautiful traditions of dance and etiquette in an enjoyable way,” she treasures the spirit of consideration for others that lies at the heart of these traditions.

A Performance in a Traditional Ryotei Ozashiki Room, so Intimate You Can Hear the Dancer’s Breathing

Long-established ryotei Akasaka Asada carries on the culinary traditions of Kaga. Here, take a moment to enjoy tea and settle in before Wakayagi offers her greetings – along with a prepared pamphlet featuring stage programs for Nihon-buyo and introducing it as a comprehensive performing art, offering an accessible entry point for beginners. After a short talk from Wakayagi about Nihon-buyo dance, the private performance begins. With an intimacy of space impossible to experience in a theater, you are sure to be drawn into the world of Nihon-buyo dance.

Accompanied by live shamisen music, guests can fully savor the rich expressiveness unique to Nihon-buyo dance. Performers and programs vary: on some days, Wakayagi may play the shamisen; on others, she may focus entirely on her dance specialty. The uniqueness of the day’s program is part of the joy of the experience. Through the beauty of the dance, the trembling of fingertips, the rustle of silk, and the performer’s breath, discover a tradition of dance in which worlds of life, landscapes, and human feeling are rendered in wordless symbolic suggestion.

After the first number, Wakayagi will perform the short dance piece “Sakura Sakura.” Dressed in a lustrous homongi kimono adorned with seasonal flowers and auspicious motifs, Wakayagi’s movements naturally draw the eye and capture the heart. Guests can experience the delicate expressive beauty that lives within Nihon-buyo dance, down to the movements of the fingers handling the fan and the shifting direction of the gaze, in an up-close intimacy impossible in Wakayagi’s larger theater performances.

Learning the Basics of Nihon-buyo Dance, and the Refined Movements of the Wakayagi-ryu Tradition

After watching Wakayagi and her accompanying performers, try Nihon-buyo dance for yourself. Beginning with movements from “Sakura Sakura” as just performed, learn postures and movements long valued in Japanese culture, including rising from the formal seiza kneeling position, traditional standing bearing, and alignment of the fingertips. Per Wakayagi herself: “A person’s character shows in their movements and bearing.” This is an opportunity to discover yourself anew through your own movements as you come into contact with the aesthetic sensibility of Japanese culture through dance.

Through practicing fan handling, learn basic movements such as opening and closing while also discovering how a change of grip becomes a change of expression. On stage, the fan is an essential tool for evoking nature, scenery, and emotion. Grasping this layer of meaning reveals the expressive richness unique to Nihon-buyo. In the latter half of the experience, test your interpretive abilities with a fun-spirited quiz in which you guess at the representative meanings of various dance choreography. Learning to read the movements reveals the charm of Nihon-buyo dance, which paints scenes in movement and tells stories without a word.

Japanese Ozashiki Games That Bring Laughter and Connection

After experiencing Nihon-buyo dance, guests will enjoy ozashiki asobi entertainment culture, a historic tradition of the Edo period (1603–1868). It involves light-hearted parlor games aimed at deepening human connection and sparking conversation through fun at banquets in ryotei restaurants and teahouses. It is imbued with a distinctly Japanese spirit of hospitality: considering others, softening the atmosphere, and bringing people closer together. Wakayagi hopes that guests will “try classic games incorporating the movements of Nihon-buyo dance in the tatami room of a historic ryotei.”

One such classic game is “Tora, Tora,” in which two players stand on either side of a folding screen used as a room partition and reveal themselves in time with the song, assuming one of three poses: Watonai (tiger-defeating hero of The Battles of Coxinga), the tiger; and the old woman. The competitive aspect of the game is identical to rock-paper-scissors, but its movements incorporate a playfully dramatic flair and a rhythmic timing that creates a rapid-fire flow and pressure sure to bring smiles. The game is enjoyable both for the movements involved as well as for its focus on understanding your fellow players and creating a lively atmosphere.

Conversation with Wakayagi over the Fine Flavors of Kaga

The plan culminates in a serene meal of Kaga kaiseki cuisine at Akasaka Asada. Wakayagi will stay and chat for a while at the start before leaving your group to enjoy your meal. Enjoy behind-the-scenes stories that only she can share, the values she has cultivated through a life in the world of Nihon-buyo dance, and etiquette tips for daily life such as how to handle chopsticks and bowls gracefully. This is a rare conversation only to be had here, sure to broaden your interest in Japanese culture while deepening your understanding of its etiquette and performance traditions.

Following the traditions of Japan’s distinctive kaiseki cuisine, dishes of seasonal ingredients are served one course at a time, allowing guests to enjoy the anticipation and revelation of each. Colorful presentation, fine dish selection, and refined culinary techniques bring out the natural character of each ingredient, embodying Japan’s spirit of hospitality.

The use of sumptuous ingredients such as abalone is another form of hospitality. Delight in such luxuries as simmered jibuni duck served in dishes adorned with gold leaf, recreating the traditional cuisine of Kaga and the splendid culture of the Edo period. Savor the nourishing depth of dishes accompanied by Kaga’s traditional sudare-fu wheat gluten, and vegetables sent directly from local producers. As with Nihon-buyo dance, you’re sure to feel the profound depth of Japanese culture through its cuisine, and its value of consideration for others.

*Menu contents vary depending on season and ingredient availability.

Discovering the Depth of Japanese Culture Through Interaction with Wakayagi

Through dance, graceful movement, and conversation with Kimiko Wakayagi, this plan invites you to experience the joy of Nihon-buyo dance and the values Japanese people have long held dear. Through ozashiki entertainment culture and Kaga cuisine, guests encounter Japanese culture from many angles, including etiquette, the spirit of hospitality, and the centrality of the seasons. In the special setting of a long-established ryotei restaurant, this graceful experience of performing arts and cuisine will leave you feeling all the better versed in the culture and life of Japan.