Saikū Takigi Noh Play with Commentary in English

Enjoy the art of traditional Noh theater and learn about the history of the Saikū Palace in Mie.

What to expect

Noh is traditional Japanese theater that goes back centuries. Actors don masks and elaborate costumes to tell a story through powerful music and dance.

This play, Ema, is dedicated to the local Saikū Palace, which was once the home of a holy princess called Saiō who worshipped the sun goddess Amaterasu. Ema is Japanese for votive tablets (wishes and prayers are written on them and hung in local shrines). The play will be performed on the last day of the lunar calendar, a day dedicated to praying for prosperity in the new year.

There will be a commentary session in English before the performance to better understand the story, context, and history — Noh can be difficult to understand even for native Japanese speakers.

Schedule

• 16:30-17:00: There will be a special commentary session in English.
• 17:00: Doors open.
• 17:30: The play begins.
• 18:30: The play ends.

How to get there

There will be a free shuttle bus from the North Exit of Saiku Station on the Kinki Railway Yamada Line to Meiwa Town Central Community Center, the venue.

The bus schedule:

• 15:45
• 16:15
• 16:45
• 17:15

Saikū Station can be reached from Tokyo Station in 3 hours and 20 minutes by taking the Tōkaidō-Sanyō Shinkansen to Nagoya Station, changing to the Rapid Mie Line for Matsusaka Station, then changing to the Yamada Line for Saikū.