1. Title of the Project

Rosoku-Noh Executive Committee

2. Name of the Performing Art Concerned in the Project

Kurokawa-Noh (Rosoku-Noh)

3. Geographic Location of the Community

Miyanoshita, Kurokawa-aza, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

4. Introduction of the Performing Art

Kurokawa-Noh has been preserved and passed down for more than 500 years while keeping its own tradition and an ancient style in its repertoire and performances. The number of its performers is about 160, including Hayashi (musicians) and Kyogen players ranging from children to the elderly. They have 250 Noh masks, over 500 Noh costumes, 540 regular Noh pieces and 50 Kyogen pieces, and Kurokawa-Noh was designated as one of the important intangible folk cultural properties of the nation in 1976.

Kurokawa-Noh is practised in community members' houses and performed by two troupes of parishioners of the Kasuga Shrine, where their guardian god is enshrined: the Kami-za troupe that represents the southern area of the shrine and the Shimo-za troupe that represents the northern area. As the two groups perform Noh as parishioners, not as professional Noh players, the art has been blended deeply with and rooted in the life of the people of Kurokawa.

In order to respond many voices wishing to watch the Noh performance, the community decided to hold additional performances by candlelight which may create a unique atmosphere in the shrine setting.

5. Problems the community faced before the launch of the project, and the factors which caused the decline of and threatened the performing art

Many community members of Kurokawa had little interest in their festivals or Noh. One of the reasons is that Kurokawa-Noh was thought to be only for actors and players, who were directly involved in the performance. There were disparities in levels of people's interest in Kurokawa-Noh even among parishioners of the same shrine or the same troupe.

One of the underlying reasons may have been a large-scale transformation in the agricultural environment which had comprised a community people living in similar lifestyles for many years. With people beginning to work in non-agricultural industries, their lifestyles were diversified. This may have weakened the community people's religious devotion to the shrine and their interest in local tradition and culture.

In addition, the women of Kurokawa who were involved in the Ohgi Festival occupied backstage roles and were invisible to the audience. Some of them had seen Noh only in bits and pieces. We thought that we should familiarise more women with Kurokawa-Noh and the festivals.

A growing number of requests to perform outside the community placed a significant burden on the actors and players. Kurokawa-Noh is not performed by professionals and most of them are engaged in agriculture or work in companies. An increased number of performances is welcome because it brings revenue to the troupes, but on the other hand they need to be away from their regular jobs for additional performances and even for rehearsals. Some found that employers are not always cooperative with the traditional performing arts and culture of the community.

6. Details of the project for solving problems of the performing art, especially who and how it started, finance, and involvement of younger generation

The major purpose of Rosoku-Noh is to generate new vitality and interest in succession of Kurokawa-Noh in the district through exchanges among Noh actors and the people of Kurokawa. To have a seat for the Noh performance in the festival, the general audience had to apply to Kurokawa-Noh Hozonkai (Preservation Association). The number of applications is always more than capacity of the building and they have to select who will get a ticket in a fair manner. It is regrettable that not all those who wish to come to the Noh performance are able to appreciate it.

The Ohgi Festival is financially supported by the following;

1. Kami-za, Shimo-za, the Kasuga Shrine, Kurokawa-Noh Hozonkai (Preservation Association)
2. Revenue generated by ticket sales
3. Advertisement fees from corporations
4. Donation from the public

There are few human relation problems because the teacher/student hierarchical type relationships are clearly respected. In Rosoku-Noh, young people are more likely to be able to speak out their opinions in the planning and the operation of the event from the initial stages. Regardless of whether they are actors or not, they are full of vitality and come up with and implement a variety of ideas every year.

7. Project's Outcomes Including Success Stories and Difficulties

Successful Outcomes

• Transparent administration by annual reshuffle of the chairperson of the Rosoku-Noh Executive Committee in which a vice-chairperson is routinely upgraded to the chairman in the following year, resulting in solidarity
• Good communication between the community's young people and those from outside which encourages the succession of Noh
• Gaining confidence and a sense of solidarity in passing on Kurokawa-Noh to the younger generation
• Encouragement for the younger generation to have an enthusiastic attitude for the activities
• Creation of good understanding among non-acting staff members from both inside and outside Kurokawa
• Creation of chances for youth who had never joined in the activities and women who used to work only behind the scenes to engage in Kurokawa-Noh
• Involvement of past chairmen in the operation of the troupes, by offering instruction as middle-masters in Kami-za and Shimo-za troupes
• Increase of repeaters for regular performances of Kurokawa-Noh

Difficulties the Community Faced

• Traditional barrier and objection by the shrine and the Noh troupes on using the shrine for secular events and whether or not to allow people who are neither actors nor parishioners to participate in Shinto rituals or ceremonies.
• Gaining a common understanding that required the participation and cooperation of young people of the community, as well as of those inside and outside the prefecture as members of the executive committee