Third-generation performer to open WiT Japan & North Asia 2024
Compared with most Noh families, whose roots can go back to the 14th century, Noh Master Kawamura Haruhisa, who runs Kyoto’s Kawamura Noh Theatre, is a relative newcomer. His Noh roots go back a mere three generations.
Kawamura Haruhisha, performing at his theatre in Kyoto, runs workshops for foreigners who want to learn about this 14th century art form.
And it’s probably this relatively young history that makes the soft-spoken Kawamura so passionate about wanting to share the spirit and story of Japan’s oldest theatre form with the world, and to see it evolve so that it lasts another 600 years.
Kawamura, who will perform at the opening of this year’s WiT Japan & North Asia, said, “You know how, after 150 years of history, there are professional ballet dancers everywhere. Well, I hope that there will be Noh actors everywhere, not just in Japan, but around the world, in 150 years’ time.”
As though amused by his own audacity, he laughs, “That’s my dream.”
For now, Noh remains a highly traditional art form, that’s passed down in families through generations. It combines elements of dance, music, and drama into a highly stylized and symbolic performance. Noh plays typically revolve around supernatural or spiritual themes, often drawing from classical Japanese literature, history, folklore, and Buddhist teachings. Common subjects include ghosts, deities, spirits, and legendary figures. The stories often explore themes of love, betrayal, salvation, and the passage of time.
It was his grandfather who first got into Noh. “He studied hard and his four sons became professional performers. The first son died during the Second World War and the three remaining sons, my father and two uncles, performed at our theatre in Kyoto,” said Kawamura.
He recalls appearing in his first Noh performance at the age of three. “I don’t remember much about the details of the performance but that was my first time on stage,” he said.
Asked if he had a choice over his career path, Kawamura laughed, “My father never said you must but he said, as you like.”
The thing is, you have to start training by six years old which means decisions have to be made pretty early in life.
In his generation are six professional Noh performers. “However two have already died in my generation and one is ill,” he said. And in the next generation after him, there’s only one performer, his cousin’s son.
His daughter wanted to join the profession but “she couldn’t make it, the Japanese system is complicated”, he smiled ruefully.
Previously an all-male domain, women have recently been allowed into the ranks but they remain far and between. Of the Noh association of which he is part, there are 1,300 members, mostly males and older, of whom 130 are practising in Kyoto. And while there is a young generation, who are not related to the Noh families, coming into the profession, they are very rare.
Not to be beaten, his daughter is trying to build a new business out of promoting Japanese traditional art, including Noh, to the world. “She’s very passionate about Noh,” said Kawamura.
Noh itself has evolved over the centuries. In the 14th century, it was performed for ordinary people. Then it became a performance for nobility, before it became entertainment for the warrior class.
“One of the big themes of Noh is its co-existence with nature, which I feel is a very important lesson for the world today,” he said. “Noh can also teach the world about co-existing with the spiritual world. The essence of Noh comes from “Budo” which is about promoting peace and respect.
“I establish my identity by knowing and performing Noh and as I want to introduce this culture to others, I also respect other people’s cultures.”
Kawamura has performed overseas in places such as Moscow, Paris and Geneva. In Kyoto, his theatre performances attract tourists and locals alike. A new studio will be completed by this October when he will start running workshops to teach the art of Noh to inbound visitors. He promotes his theatre performances through word of mouth, hotel concierges and through working with tourism and convention bureaus in Japan.
“We live in such a fast-paced world of technology and we need people to look into traditions and understand what’s been passed on to us,” he said.
To be a Noh master requires discipline, silence, physical ability, sense of rhythm and a commitment to the art. “Noh is changing. The core part has not changed, but the styles have. Without evolution, Noh will die. I welcome women. I welcome everyone.”