 Image search results - "takigi" |
Oyama Himatsuri Takigi Noh is held annually on two successive days in early Oct. It's an outdoor Noh play under firelight. This Noh tradition goes back 300 years. Saw it on Oct. 3, 2019. PR poster for Takigi Noh on Mt. Oyama.
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Way to Oyama Afuri Shrine's Noh stage at the Shamukyoku shrine office. 社務局
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Audio guide for English interpreting.
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Bleachers.
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Cheap seats were ¥1,500.
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Noh stage at Oyama Afuri Shrine (大山阿夫利神社) for Takigi Noh performance. "Takigi" means "firewood" so the Noh play was held in the evening with burning torches. 火祭薪能
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Before the Noh play, these local kids went on stage and explained about the Noh play in English.
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I was very impressed by their English. Very good explanation and excellent English coaching. Wish all festivals in Japan did this.
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Wooden prayer tablets for a bon fire.
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Entrance of the sacred fire that was created in the Haiden in the early morning.
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Before it got dark, some people dressed as samurai arrived near the Noh stage with sacred fire torches.
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They lit the bon fire made of prayer tablets. This was the fire festival (火祭) part of the event.
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The fire is to invite the shrine's deity to this festival site.
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Bon fire burned until it got dark. The sacred fire was also used to light the torches near the Noh stage.
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Food offerings for the arriving deity.
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Torches near the Noh stage were also lit. Noh started on Mt. Oyama 300 years ago when the shogun ordered the conflicting religious groups on the mountain to work together to stage a Noh play twice a year. This was to prevent fighting from breaking out on the mountain. Priests in those days were armed and warrior-like. The strategy worked as Oyama's Shintoists, Buddhists, and ascetic priests made peace and worked together to perform Noh in the Kanze School.
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The Noh tradition on Oyama was disrupted due to the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and World War II, but it was resurrected in the 1980s.The background trees were also beautifully illuminated. Also notice the small torches. Starting at 4 pm, four plays including a dance and kyogen were performed. Ended at 7:30 pm. They also had a beautiful bilingual (Japanese and English) program explaining much about the Oyama, Afuri Shrine, and Noh.
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For Oyama Afuri Shrine's 39th Fire Festival Takigi Noh on Oct. 3, 2019, a Kyogen play called "Neongyoku" and Noh play called "Momojigari" were performed.Performers were top class from the Kanze School of Noh and the Okura School of Kyogen. Sorry, but photography of the performances wasn't allowed so I don't have photos of the performances. Many thanks to Alice Gordenker who organized the tour and provided English explanations.
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