The Life of the Adult Nō Player in Japan Today

Authors

Irmgard Johnson, University of Florida

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, the first paragraph of the essay follows:

In Tokyo, where the five "schools" of Nō drama are located, many citizens could rather accurately surmise what the life of a No player might be like--that is, a daily routine not very different from that of other hard-working ultra-conservative professionals, particularly those engaged in teaching and perpetuating the traditional Japanese arts. And to far more than a million "amateurs" taking lessons in singing (utai) or dance (shimai) from one of the players (or from a proficient "amateur"), no detail would be likely to cause the mildest surprise. However, even certain foreigners who are well acquainted with various aspects of Japanese civilization may be unfamiliar with the ordinary facts of an existence which seems entirely matter-of- course to those immediately concerned with the present practice of this six-hundred-year-old stage tradition.

Recommended Citation

Johnson, Irmgard (1984) "The Life of the Adult Nō Player in Japan Today," Comparative Drama: Vol. 18: Iss. 4, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol18/iss4/1