Noh up close, in the quiet of a Zen temple. On Thursday, November 26, 2026, Osaka’s Yamamoto Noh Theater (Yamamoto Nohgaku-do) gives a special Noh performance at Tokuzen-ji, a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji in Murasakino, Kyoto. The play is “Hagoromo” (“The Feather Robe”), the well-known tale of a celestial maiden, and admission is free.
A 90-minute program: “Hagoromo” plus hands-on introductions
The performance is a special program of the 4th Japan Annual-International Art Festival, held mainly in Kyoto from September 1 to November 30, 2026. It is more than a staging — the program is built so that even first-time viewers can follow along.
- An introduction to Noh and its history
- Singing the chant (utai) of “Hagoromo” together
- The mystery of Noh masks
- The beauty of Noh costumes
- A mini concert and commentary on Noh instruments
- A performance of the Noh play “Hagoromo”
The performers are Akihiro Yamamoto, a Kanze-school shite (lead role) Noh actor and holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property designation, and Reiko Yamamoto, also a Kanze-school shite actor, among others. The program runs 13:30–15:00.
Tokuzen-ji, a temple tied to the monk Ikkyu
Tokuzen-ji is a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji, the head temple of the Rinzai Daitoku-ji school. It was founded at the foot of Mt. Funaoka in the late Nanbokucho period and, after the Onin War, was restored by the monk Ikkyu Sojun. It is depicted as a famous garden in the Edo-period guidebook Miyako Rinsen Meisho Zue, and the grounds are said to be filled with the refined aesthetics of a Zen temple.
Seeing Noh in a place that has nurtured Japanese spiritual culture for some 700 years — and learning about its history, costumes and instruments first — is a rare opportunity.
Related exhibitions around Daitoku-ji
The festival is also showing exhibitions around Daitoku-ji. The special exhibition “Creating Japanese Beauty: From Daitoku-ji to the World” at Daitoku-ji Zuiun-ken runs October 24 (Sat)–28 (Wed), 2026, and the “U-35 International Open Call Exhibition 2026” at the sub-temple Obai-in runs October 2 (Fri)–November 29 (Sun) (closed October 28). You could combine them with your visit.
Information
- Date and time: Thursday, November 26, 2026, 13:30–15:00
- Venue: Tokuzen-ji, sub-temple of Daitoku-ji (head temple of the Rinzai Daitoku-ji school), 86 Murasakino Daitokuji-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto
- Admission: Free
- Organizer: Yumeshima Shinsangyo Toshi Sozo Kiko (general incorporated association)
- Special cooperation: Tokuzen-ji, sub-temple of Daitoku-ji
- Website (Japanese): https://yumeshimakikou.org/jiaf4-2026/jiaf2026-tokuzenji/
- Contact: Secretariat, Yumeshima Shinsangyo Toshi Sozo Kiko — tel. 06-6136-8803 / info-yume@yumeshimakikou.com
