Miyake-Kyogen-Kai

"What is Kyōgen?"

In Japan, there are many forms of traditional theatre and performing arts. Among them, Kyōgen, together with Noh, was perfected during the Muromachi period and boasts a history of over 650 years. Today, the two are collectively known as Nohgaku.

Nohgaku traces its origins back to the sangaku performance art, which was introduced to Japan from China during the Nara period. Sangaku was a form of entertainment that combined acrobatics, music, and dance. Over time, from the Heian to the Kamakura periods, this art evolved into what came to be called sarugaku. Within sarugaku, the more tragic and dreamlike plays—featuring refined singing and dance—developed into Noh, while the humorous, dialogue-rich, and pantomime-like performances became Kyōgen.

Traditionally, Noh and Kyōgen are performed on the same stage, often within the same program, much like brothers complementing one another. Nohgaku enjoyed great popularity among the warrior classes, including the Ashikaga and Tokugawa shogunates. From the mid-Meiji period onward, it became appreciated by a wider audience, and today it attracts attention from people around the world.

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