"And so, I keep performing Noh.": A conversation with a Noh enthusiast of Sado
They say there are over 200 Noh enthusiasts living on the Island of Sado today. We asked Heitaro Ikeno, the chairman of Sado Nohgaku Federation about Noh, an art form that is alive and well among everyday life in Sado.
"Sado offers a lot of opportunity for practiced persons to be on stage," says Mr. Ikeno.
Noh stage in Katabata (Ryotsu) Suwa Shrine that Mr. Ikeno worked hard to restore.
Today Mr. Ikeno's grandchildren, Kohei and Mayu, practice Noh on Katabata Noh Stage.
Mr. Ikeno was on stage with Kohei when they performed Funabenkei together in 2007.
Heitaro Ikeno entered the world of Noh in 1954. "My father was into it. I used to listen to Noh chants on the radio with my father while we were taking a bath, and soon enough I fell in love with the voice. How can I describe it? It's really enchanting," he told us. In Katabata where Mr. Ikeno lives, people used to chant Noh at banquets he said.
In addition to the club in Ryotsu where Mr. Ikeno is a member, there are Nohgaku clubs in Niibo, Kanai, Sawata, Aikawa, Mano, Hamochi, Hatano, as well as Sado Nohgaku Club to which the disciples of the Honma School of Noh belong. (Honma School is Sado's leading Noh school.) Mr. Ikeno is the chairman of Sado Nohgaku Federation that oversees all the clubs. He also studies under Honma School and is a member of the Nohgaku Club.
The month of June, when Takigi Noh is performed all around the island, is a very busy month for all the Noh enthusiasts on the island. "There are about 160 members in the Federation. Sado is a unique place where many opportunities exist for the enthusiast to be on stage. However, we've experienced a decrease in Noh population in the past thirty years with changes in employment and so on. Our biggest head ache today is that there aren't enough people to play Hayashi, the musical accompaniment to Noh (fu'e (flute,) ko-tsuzumi (tabor,) oh-tsuzumi (large tabor,) taiko (drum).)"
In Noh performance, the players often come together to rehearse only on the day of the performance. Each person practices and rehearses their part according to the Utaibon, the script of chants, and prepares for the performance individually. Currently, Mr. Ikeno is rehearsing a Waki part (a major supporting role) for Kayoikomachi that will be performed on June 28th at Shoboji Candlelight Noh. "It's difficult to perform at the main building of the temple since the audience is right in front of you. But it's also a great pleasure to perform at a temple that has strong ties to Zeami, and performing a title that is relatively foreign to the island is a real challenge," Mr. Ikeno commented.
Some ten years ago, Mr. Ikeno got involved in the restoration of the Noh stage in Katabata with several local supporters. As a result, the stage was designated as a Prefectural Tangible Folk Cultural Asset in 1995, and a full-scale restoration has been possible with the support from the government. Mr. Ikeno's grandson Kohei and granddaughter Mayu practice Noh on that very stage today. "It's wonderful to see my grandchildren doing Noh. When you learn something at a very young age, it stays with you even if you stop practicing at some point. The sound of the Noh chant sets fire to something deep within me."
Utaibon or Noh script for Kayoikomachi that will be performed on June 28th at Shoboji.