PRESS RELEASE August 11, 2015

No. 2015-021-1/2

Kongo School Noh Performance in Russia
Top young talent in the traditional performing arts to assemble forRaku: The Cosmos in a Tea Bowl exhibition in Moscow

Scene from the Noh play Hagoromo

Hisanori Kongo

The Japan Foundation has organized a performance of Noh drama of the Kongo School at the Moscow Theater
Center “Vishneviy Sad” in Russia, in conjunction with the opening of the ceramics exhibition Raku: The Cosmos ina Tea Bowl at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. A lecture and demonstration given by the Urasenke Schoolof tea ceremony will also be held, and participants will have the opportunity to learn about the philosophy, thought,
traditional craftsmanship, and arts that have been handed down for centuries in Japan in a comprehensive way.
Noh has a history stretching back 650 years. Of its five schools, four are based in Tokyo, and the only one that islocated in Kyoto is the Kongo School. For this event the classic Noh play Hagoromo (The Feather Robe) will bestaged at the Moscow Theater Center “Vishneviy Sad,” directed by Hisanori Kongo, the 26th-generation Grand
Master of the Kongo School, and starring his son, 27th-generation Master Tatsunori Kongo. Anticipation is already
mounting for this performance played by actors with a mean age of 31 years, who are extraordinarily young in theworld of Noh. At the opening event, which will take place prior to the play at the Pushkin Museum, there will be a
Noh chant and kotsuzumi (shoulder drum) performance by Hisanori Kongo. After the play at “Vishneviy Sad”
young Russians, who study Japanese language and culture or engaged in the theatrical arts, will interact withyoung Noh performers to deepen their understanding of traditional Japanese performing arts.
An earlier Noh performance at the State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, which was held as an opening
event for the Raku: The Cosmos in a Tea Bowl exhibition won great accolades. For this event, some of thegreatest young talent from Kyoto, representing the future of the Noh genre, will appear on one stage in Moscow.
Please contact us regarding the details of this event or to obtain press materials.
[Dates]:Tuesday, September 22– Wednesday, September 23, 2015
7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
[Venue]:Moscow Theater Center “Vishneviy Sad”
[Organized by]:The Japan Foundation, The Raku Museum, The Pushkin State Museum ofFine Arts, Japan-Russia Youth Exchange Center[In cooperation with]: Embassy of Japan in Russia[Assisted by]:
Fukujuen Co., Ltd., Komatsu CIS, LLC., Mitsubishi Electric (Russia) LLC●Organizer/Contact: The Japan Foundation Arts and Culture Dept.
Persons in charge: Ohira (Mr.), Tamatsuka (Mr.)
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6063 / Fax: +81-(0)3-5369-6038 / E-mail: arts2@jpf.go.jp●Press Contact: Kishi (Ms.) (Kongo Nohgaku Foundation)
Tel: +81-(0)75-441-7222 / Fax: +81-(0)75-451-1008 / E-mail：kongou@isis.ocn.jp〒160-0004 東京都新宿区四谷 4-4-1
www.jpf.go.jp

No. 2015-021-2/2

Program
1. Subayashi: “Shishi” (Lions), from Shakkyo (Stone Bridge)
Summary
Lions, servants of the deity of wisdom Monju, perform a wondrous dance and then return totheir designated seat in this piece from the Noh story Shakkyo (Stone Bridge). This is one of
the classic tales in Japanese performing arts, with a story that has inspired a body of related
works in Kabuki as well. Here, the tension, power, and celebratory energy of the piece arehighlighted in this condensed Subayashi (music only) version.
Performers
Musicians: Yosuke Arai (fue [flute]), Ikio Sowa (kotsuzumi [shoulder drum]), Yuichiro Kawamura(otsuzumi [hip drum]), Kazuha Nakata (taiko [stick drum])2. Lecture: The Enduring Appeal of Noh
Speaker: Tatsushige Udaka

3. Noh play: Hagoromo (The Feather Robe)
SummaryThis is among the most popular Noh plays, based on an ancient legend and frequently
performed since the 16th century.
Zeami, a seminal figure in the formation of Noh, wrote that this dance of an angelic female
figure was in a special category, and this piece went on to influence the style of Noh dance
significantly. The white sand of the beach, the green of the pines, and Mt. Fuji towering in thedistance are an elegant backdrop for this performance, overflowing with power and grace, byTatsunori Kongo.
Performers
Actors: Tatsunori Kongo (shite [leading role] Heavenly being), Jotaro Mori (waki [supporting role]
Hakuryu the fisherman)
Musicians: Yosuke Akai (fue), Ikio Sowa (kotsuzumi), Yuichiro Kawamura (otsuzumi), Kazuha Nakata(taiko)
Chorus: Hisanori Kongo (jigashira [leader]), Tatsushige Udaka, Natsuki Yamada, Tadasuke Somyo
Norishige Udaka (koken [stage attendant])*On Monday, September 21 at 7:00 p.m., a performance of Noh chant and kotsuzumi (shoulder drum) will be held at a specially built
stage at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
*On Wednesday, September 23, a Japan-Russia youth exchange event will be planned after the performance at Moscow Theater
Center “Vishneviy Sad.”●Organizer/Contact: The Japan Foundation, Arts and Culture Dept.
Persons in charge: Ohira (Mr.), Tamatsuka (Mr.)
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6063 / Fax: +81-(0)3-5369-6038 / E-mail: arts2@jpf.go.jp●Press Contact: Kishi (Ms.) (Kongo Nohgaku Foundation)
Tel: 075-441-7222 / Fax: 075-451-1008 / E-mail：kongou@isis.ocn.jp〒160-0004 東京都新宿区四谷 4-4-1
www.jpf.go.jp