Otsuki Nohgakudo was founded in 1935 by his grandfather, Jyuzo Otsuki, in its current location. In 2016, he became the first Osaka shitekata to be designated a “Living National Treasure,” or holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (individual). Now 82 years old, Otsuki-san is based in Kamimachi, but also performs nationwide, actively presenting new Noh plays.
It’s theater, so it’s only natural that there are new pieces,” he said. In the 700-year history of Noh, about 2,000 pieces have been created. New works are created, the interesting ones remain, and the less interesting ones are weeded out. …… Currently, there are about 250 current pieces. Noh flourished in the Muromachi period (1333-1573), was controlled as ceremonial music (court music) by the shogunate in the Edo period (1603-1867), and went through a period of decline after the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), but was revived in the Showa period (1926-1989). Nowadays, new works are being actively produced,” he says.
Mr. Otsuki also supervised the production of a new Noh play, “Oni-no-Kiri no Kane” (The Blade of Demon’s Destruction), starting in 2022. The performance, in which Mr. Otsuki himself appeared, was a huge hit, with tickets sold out immediately and the audience packed every day. Since then, the Noh play has been held every year throughout Japan, and has become an opportunity for Noh studies to be enjoyed by a wider range of generations than ever before.
Then feel the thoughts of the protagonist.
When asked how beginners can enjoy Noh plays, Mr. Otsuki said, “Unlike movies, it is not interesting unless you know the story in advance. The basic characters are the shite (the leading actor), waki (his partner), and tsure (assistants to the shite and waki), and the story and rules are simple and clear, so it is recommended to know the story before watching the performance.
The story is simple and straightforward, so it is recommended to view the play knowingly. The Shite tells the story in the dream of the waki, and the audience watches the waki’s dream with him. We know what happens, but we read the emotions here: ……. The content of the story is an exposition of the protagonist’s feelings. It becomes interesting by listening to the narration along with the thoughts of the protagonist. Nevertheless, if you choose the right performance, there are some that have action or a groundbreaking story, so beginners may want to choose such a performance,” he said.
Otsuki also says that Noh plays, which have been performed for 700 years, express universal human psychology.
Even after the Onin War, when Kyoto was burnt to the ground, Noh has continued to be performed,” he said. There must be something that appeals to people, something that they can feel in their hearts. And people can feel it in various ways. I think that is one of the charms of the film and the reason why it has continued.
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It was established in 1935 as the nation's first Noh theater with chair seating. It is the only Noh stage in Osaka City with a three-room, four-way stage, and is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property. -
The Otsuki Noh Theatre is located along Uemachi-suji Street, just south of Naniwanomiya Palace, and although it was replaced by a concrete structure in 1983, the Noh stage is made of all cypress as it was when it was first built. -
Born and raised in Kamimachi, Otsuki says that when he was a child, streetcars ran along Kamimachi-suji Street and the scenery was different from what it is today. -
There are 20 major types of Noh masks, or 200 when subdivided, and they are used in different ways depending on the performance, expression, and character.
interest changes with age.
One of the attractions of Noh theater is the gorgeous costumes and the beautiful sounds of the chants and musical accompaniment, but the real appeal of Noh is to feel the inner life and spirit of the people expressed by the performers. Today, an increasing number of people are reading “Fushikaden” written by Zeami, who laid the foundation of Noh drama, as a business book or a philosophy book.
Zeami said, “Never forget your first love.” It means that when you do something for the first time in your old age, you should never forget the mistakes you made in your first attempt. On the other hand, it is also about what went well. Zeami’s words come to mind as important words at different times. Noh is something that speaks of something deep within the mind. People have deep feelings in their hearts, but they don’t show them on a daily basis. But in truth, there must be something like deep feelings. I extract them and put a magnifying glass on them to create a work of art. I myself look at the work for a long time and read it deeply. By doing so, I can sense the author’s intention and express it. As people get older, their performances change, and so do the feelings of the viewers. The same work can be seen differently by people in their 20s and 30s,” he said.
Every production is a battle between myself and the work,” says Otsuki. The stage performances by living national treasures that express the beauty and emotion overflowing from within are truly the traditional performing arts that Osaka is proud to offer to the world.
I want people to see Noh not just once, but several times,” she said. As you live a life, your understanding of Noh will increase and deepen,” he says.
Naniwanomiya & I
I want this town to naturally hear the sounds of Japan.
”
I grew up in this neighborhood, and my wish is that more people today will be exposed to the sounds of Japan. When I was a child, I could naturally hear the sounds of people practicing the tsuzumi (Japanese drum) and shamisen (three-stringed Japanese banjo) in the town, but now there are not many people learning them, and the concrete buildings make it hard to hear the sounds. Pianos and violins are not Japanese sounds. I think that if you hear Japanese sounds when you are a child, you can immerse yourself in Japanese performing arts without feeling any sense of discomfort when you watch them. It would be nice if there is an opportunity to familiarize oneself with Japanese sounds in this area as well. And as the name Kamimachi implies, the ground surface here is high, about the same elevation as the fifth floor of the Osaka Takashimaya Department Store. In ancient times, the sea was right up to the side of Naniwa Palace, and since the ground is so good, the court and castle must have been built here. We had a Noh performance at the Daigoku-den site of Naniwa Palace about 30 years ago, and we may be able to do it again if there are sponsors,” he said.
Ohtsuki Noh Theatre
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AddressA7 Uemachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
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TEL06-6761-8055
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