Tag Archives: Funa Benkei

Noh Photography #1 – Irwin Wong

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This is the first of a series of posts on photographers who have worked with the INI and with Udaka Michishige.

Irwin Wong is a professional photographer based in Tokyo. A few months ago he contacted the INI as he was looking to arrange a photo shoot commissioned by camera maker Hasselblad for the advertising campaign of their new model. We arranged to meet at Iori, a machiya, or traditional house in downtown Kyoto: Michishige brought his costumes and the masks he carves, and his sons Tatsushige and Norishige helped him with the complex dressing process. Irwin brought his camera and lighting equipment, while his collaborator Kondō Keiichi filmed the behind-the-scenes that you can watch in the video below. It was very productive day and Irwin’s pictures are just stunning: make sure to check out his post on the photo session, which also includes technical information about the cameras and the lights.

We can see two characters in the pictures: the female character is the mae-shite for the Noh Uneme, which Michishige performed in February 2014. The costume is a karaori, or Chinese brocade, and the mask is Ko-omote, to portray the face of a young girl. In stark contrast with the delicate female character is the vengeful ghost of Taira no Tomomori, appearing in the second half of the Noh Funa Benkei. Features of this costume are the white hitoe-kariginu, symbolising the character is a ghost, and the halberd and sword. The mask is Shintai, also used for roles of powerful gods.

Udaka Michishige preparing his Noh masks. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige preparing his Noh masks. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as the Ghost of Uneme. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Tatsushige and Norishige dress their father Michishige as the Ghost of Uneme. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as the Ghost of Uneme. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as the Ghost of Uneme. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as the Ghost of Uneme. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

The Ko-omote mask carved by Udaka Michishige. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as Taira no Tomomori. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Tatsushige and Norishige dress their father Michishige as Taira no Tomomori. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as Taira no Tomomori. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as Taira no Tomomori. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as Taira no Tomomori. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as Taira no Tomomori. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as Taira no Tomomori. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige as Taira no Tomomori. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige, Tatsushige, Norishige. Photograph: Irwin Wong.

Udaka Michishige (center), Tatsushige (left), Norishige (right). Photograph: Irwin Wong.

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Thoughts on the Kei’un-kai Memorial Performance 2014

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The program board outside the theatre

On August 17th 2014 The Kei’un-kai Memorial Performance, including INI members, took place at the Kongo Noh Theatre in Kyoto. It was a long day, with shimai, rengin, maibayashi and full Noh plays performed  from dawn to dusk.  This year’s performance took place at the end of the o-bon period in Japan, during which people remember and honour the dead. It was an occasion for us performers and for the audience to express gratitude to those who are not with us anymore.

For this purpose, Udaka Michishige has chosen a poem by Henjo (816-890), quoted in the Noh Sumizome-zakura, ‘The Ink-dyed Cherry Tree’. “Everyone is wearing colourful robes, while my mossy sleeves (a monk’s robes) are yet to dry.” Henjo became a priest after the death of Emperor Nimmyo, and the poem expresses the poet’s grief and his reluctance to return to colourful robes after the official time of mourning, though others around him have done so. Udaka Michishige created a calligraphy with the first line of the poem, which you see on the hanging scroll in the picture below.

Rebecca Teele Ogamo. Calligraphy: Udaka Michishige. Kakejiku hanging scroll: Kim Heakyoung.

 The INI Senior Director, Rebecca Teele Ogamo, would like to share the following thought about the performance: ‘It was very special to remember both those we once performed with us as Keiun-kai or INI members and those who have supported us in the past and I think we all felt their warm presence cheering us on. And perhaps they were in “flowery robes” as they watched with nostalgia our struggle with the nerves and doubts that sometimes clouded our vision’.

The INI would like to thank all those who have participated to this performance, and whose help and support motivates us to continue our study and research of Noh.

Noh: Atsumori. Shite: Nagao Atsushi
Noh: Atsumori. Shite: Nagao Atsushi
Noh: Funa Benkei - Shiranami no den. Shite: Higaki Toshifumi
Noh: Funa Benkei – Shiranami no den. Shite: Higaki Toshifumi
Maibayashi: Yamamba. Shite: Tanbara Michiko
Maibayashi: Yamamba. Shite: Tanbara Michiko
Shimai: Hanagatami. Shite: Yoshioka Miki
Shimai: Hanagatami. Shite: Yoshioka Miki
Maibayashi: Tsurukame. Shite: Monique Arnaud
Maibayashi: Tsurukame. Shite: Monique Arnaud
Maibayashi: Toru. Shite: Diego Pellecchia
Maibayashi: Toru. Shite: Diego Pellecchia
Elaine Czech
Elaine Czech

Kei’un-kai Memorial Performance 17 August 2014

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On 17 August 2014 from 9:30am the Kei’un-kai (the group Udaka Michishige’s students, incuding the International Noh Institute) will hold a Memorial Performance at the Kongō Noh Theatre in Kyoto. The performance will begin with two bangai shimai or special feature dance excerpts by masters Taneda Michikazu (Eguchi) and Udaka Michishige (Fujitō), followed by a recitation of an excerpt from the Noh Seigan-ji by Udaka Michishige’s sons, Tatsushige and Norishige. Student performances will begin at 9:50 and will feature a number of shimai, maibayashi and two full Noh plays (from 13:00 Atsumori, Shite: Nagao Atsushi; from 17:00 Funa Benkei, Shite: Higaki Takafumi).

ADMISSION FREE: feel free to come and go quietly. An English synopsis of the program will be available. Download here the full program (Japanese only).

Members of the International Noh Institute will perform the following dances:

Elaine Czech (イレーイン・チェック) shimai: Kochō                          (11:00 group)

Monique Arnaud (モニック・アルノー) maibayashi: Tsurukame      (12:00 group)

Diego Pellecchia (高谷大悟) maibayashi: Tōru                                     (12:00 group)

Rebecca Teele Ogamo (小鴨梨辺華) shimai: Kashiwazaki                  (16:40 group)

Tsuizen Taikai 2014