Antique painting "Noh Theater Actor". Fabric, silk in a wooden frame. Japan, 20th century

There are 5 styles of Japanese theater: no, bunraku, joruri, kabuki and kyogen. But (nogaku) was born in Japan in the 13th century; by the 14th century the theater had acquired its final form. All 5 genres differ from each other, however, they are united by common aesthetic principles accepted in the art of Japanese theater.

But - translated means talent, skill. According to legend, the Noh theater was formed on the basis of performances of the cult of the sun gods; these performances took place in pine, the sacred tree of Shintoism. The design of the stage of the Noh theater contains the image of a pine tree, the tree of eternity and permanence.

Among the features is that the actors sing the text rather than read it. The floor is polished to a shine, the actors have to move in a unique way, almost glide over the surface of the main plots of the Noh theater - the fate of man, morality, the problem of choice, historical battles. The female roles are played by men, the main actors have masks, each with their own name.