• NOH: 草子洗い (Soshi Arai)

3/17/24 (Sun), Tokyo

While this work is traditionally attributed to Noh’s founder Zeami, the light narrative style and large cast make it feel like a much later piece. It centers on the famed poet Ono Komachi, but here she is young and vibrant as opposed to the withered old woman longing for her youth in the other of Noh’s seven Komachi works. The piece impossibly brings together some of the Six Great Poets from different eras, making the fantasy element clear.

Komachi is preparing her contribution for a poetry competition that day. Her rival Otomo no Kuronushi, knowing that he can never beat her, sneaks in and finds her poem. He rewrites it and places it among the thousands of poems in the ancient Manyoshu collection, where many of the authors are unknown. When Komachi presents her piece before the Mikado, Kuronushi pulls out the forged document and accuses her of trying to pull off an old poem as her own, a considerable scandal in this context. She adamantly denies this and examines the document. Noting the unnatural alignment and differences in the ink, she washes the page with water. The poem is immediately washed away, exposing the entire affair. Kuronushi, humiliated, admits to the scheme and announces his intention to commit suicide in penance. Komachi, however, magnanimously stops him since he was acting purely from his love for poetry, leading the Mikado to forgive him. She performs an elegant dance celebrating the Mikado and the virtues of poetry.

The story is easy to follow and the motivations clear. It feels closer in a way to Kabuki than to Noh – I’m surprised Kabuki hasn’t picked it up. One friend said it felt like an NHK home drama. While Komachi’s generosity of spirit and the healing power of poetry are themes of a sort, the play is really just an entertainment, and a very good one at that. There were at least seven people on stage, including the two leads, Komachi’s two identically dressed female companions (with matching masks), a child playing the Mikado, and the poet Ki no Tsurayuki. It’s a colorful work with a charming dance by Komachi at the end. Though not particularly profound, it’s a great piece for Noh novices. I had expected a more seasonal piece – this takes place in summer – but it’s really a work for all seasons. I look forward to catching it again sometime.