On July 24, 2024, at the eve of Tenjin Festival in Osaka, one of Japan’s three major festivals, among the procession of boats floating on the Okawa River, TANAKA Seiji was on the stage on a boat performing a noh play on the water by the light of bonfires at night. Tanaka, a member of Kobe University’s Kanze School Noh Play Club, has been practicing noh since he was three and is now, at age 21, striving to become a professional noh performer.

“It all started when my mother took me to a performance. According to her, after watching a performance of ‘Tsuchigumo’ (‘The ground spider’), I suddenly said, ‘I want to do this,’” Tanaka says with a shy but candid smile, just like any other college student. However, the occasional serious look in his eyes reveals the strength and determination required to pursue a career in traditional performing arts.

Tanaka’s world expanded through a noh class held at a culture center in Kobe. Unable to find a place that would accept preschool children, his mother made a phone call to the class of ONISHI Fumihisa, a noh master, saying, “This is the last time,” and Ohnishi continues to mentor him to this day.

Since he was an elementary school pupil, he has been taking the train by himself from Kobe to Osaka-Umeda Station to attend Onishi’s lessons. “The teachings of ZEAMI Motokiyo (a 14th- and 15th-century playwright who founded the Kanze tradition) emphasize nurturing through praise. Thanks to my teacher’s warm guidance, I have been able to continue to this point,” said Tanaka. When he entered high school, his lessons turned into training. He also joined a training group to become a professional noh performer. “When you join, you have to write a statement saying, ‘I will pursue noh as a profession.’ At that moment, I made up my mind,” he says, his mouth tightening.

Although Tanaka is straightforward in pursuing his dream, he faces challenges, such as recruiting members for the Kanze School Noh Play Club, which boasts a 92-year history. He was asked to join the club by an alum who also has ties to Ohnishi, but Tanaka is now the club’s only member. The weight of the club’s tradition weighs heavily on his shoulders. However, Tanaka, who understands the inherent rigor of noh, also knows how to enjoy it. There he is an ordinary university student looking for companions.

“There is a pleasant feeling in chanting an utai (noh chant) loudly, but they can be also enjoyed as classical literature. Visiting the scenes of these chants is what we now call a ‘pilgrimage,’ and everyone can get excited about it together,” says Tanaka, as he practices in the club room, waiting for someone to open the door from the outside.

From FUSHIMI Kazumasa, an alum of the Noh Play Club (graduated from the Faculty of Economics in 1979)

Fushimi:

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unable to recruit new members, and our existing members graduated, leading to a halt in the club’s activities. So, we persuaded Tanaka to join the club, even though it was a bit of an imposition. The alum association is also supporting the club in an effort to increase the number of members before his graduation. This year, we held a mini performance near the university to coincide with the spring recruitment event. We sincerely hope that new members will join and that Tanaka and others will have a fulfilling student life through their club activities. One of the great aspects of noh is that performers can collaborate across generations. Our alum association fosters interaction among various age groups. As an alum, I am committed to ensuring the club’s survival and increasing the number of future members.