National Noh Theatre

国立能楽堂Tokyo

Culture

What makes this place special?

At a Glance

The National Noh Theatre is a theater for Noh and Kyōgen in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo, which opened in September 1983. It is run by the Japan Arts Council. A Noh stage needs its own kind of building, so the theater could not be placed inside the National Theatre and was built as a separate facility after strong requests from people in the Noh world.

The main hall has the Noh stage, and a rehearsal stage is on the second floor. The building was designed by Ōe Hiroshi and finished in August 1983. There is also an exhibition room where costumes, masks and props used in Noh are shown in special exhibitions, along with a lecture room and a reference library. Since 2007 the theater has presented an annual program of performances by women.