• Noh: 半蔀 (Hajitomi)、高野物狂 (Koya Monogurui)

7/13/25 (Sun), Tokyo

I hadn’t seen either of these pieces, so I figured it was a good chance to catch something new. I accidentally bought four tickets rather than two and couldn’t find anyone interested in joining us, including a friend living a two-minute walk from the theater. I guess I’ll look on it as a donation to the Yarai Noh Theater group. 

Hajitomi: This is based on the famous “Yugao” chapter of the Tales of Genji. I read Arthur Waley’s moving translation of this chapter the night before as preparation. The title of the show refers to the lattice shutters that the women were slyly peeking through when Genji spotted them. The show is not a reworking of that story, using the character of Yugao instead for its own purposes. Continue reading →