A seat front and centre, and behind the stage, Osaka Castle. The view alone felt almost too luxurious — and then came the bonfires and the cool autumn breeze. This is my record of two evenings of takigi noh. And yes, once again, it was the best.
What Is the Osaka Castle Nishinomaru Takigi Noh?
This was a takigi noh performance held on a special stage in the Nishinomaru Garden of Osaka Castle. Takigi noh is noh theatre performed outdoors, with bonfires burning around the stage. The two-day programme brought together a wonderful line-up, including Living National Treasure Bunzo Otsuki and Mansai Nomura.
Watching noh against the backdrop of the illuminated castle keep — what a gloriously Osaka idea. This time I managed to get a very good seat, looking straight across the stage towards the keep. Almost too luxurious…
Day 1: A Night in Blue
The programme was the noh play Futari Shizuka (Bunzo Otsuki), the kyogen Sado-gitsune (Mansai Nomura), and the noh play Tsuchigumo (Saburota Kanze). Before the performance began, the stage was bathed in blue light, and the castle keep glowed blue as well.
Futari Shizuka was lovely, but the star of the night had to be Tsuchigumo. That moment when the spider threads shoot out — whoosh! Watching it outdoors at night sent my excitement through the roof. Threads dancing through the air, lit by the bonfires. The best.
Day 2: A Night in Pink
Day 2 brought the noh play Hagoromo (Bunzo Otsuki), the kyogen Yase-matsu (Mansai Nomura), and the noh play Adachigahara (Yuichi Otsuki). This time the light was pink. The lighting colour changing from day to day was another lovely touch.
Hagoromo is a piece I often see as a kabuki dance, and it is one of my favourites. A celestial maiden under the autumn night sky was something special indeed.
And then Adachigahara. A party of travelling priests lodges at a lonely house, and the mistress of the house turns out to be… quite a grim and frightening tale. A demon woman, outdoors, in the dark — twice as scary. Yuichi, terrifying…
Bonfires and the Autumn Night
October nights are wonderfully cool — the perfect season for open-air theatre. That said, depending on your seat, the bonfires can be startlingly close; the crackling flames were almost frightening in their intensity. That, too, is part of the takigi noh experience.
My one miscalculation: there were so many people that I could not rent an earphone guide. For a popular open-air performance, heading for the earphone guide counter early seems to be the way to go.
Final Thoughts
A noh stage with Osaka Castle behind it, bonfires, and the autumn night breeze. Two evenings of almost excessive luxury.
Takigi noh on a long autumn night — once again, it was the best!
