Honganji Temple North Noh Stage

The Oldest Surviving Noh Stage

The Honganji Temple North Noh Stage (本願寺北能舞台) is the Momoyama-period Noh stage north of the shoin of Honganji (Nishi Honganji) in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City, which in 1953 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a one-bay-square stage, hip-and-gable at the front and gabled at the back.

According to the Agency, an ink inscription dates it to 1581, though its history is otherwise unknown.

Features

According to the Agency, it stands in the forecourt north of the Shiroshoin, facing its raised room, which serves as the viewing area. With a hip-and-gable front, gabled back, side and rear stages and a bridgeway, it has all the typical features of a Noh stage.

Its simple structure and design, relatively small roof, rear stage floored lengthwise like the main stage, and steep angle of the bridgeway are distinctive.

What to Look For

The Agency notes that these features preserve the freer, older form before Noh stage design was fixed in the Edo period, and that it is the most archaic of surviving stages, including Honganji's south stage and the stage at Itsukushima Shrine, with much original material.

Honganji describes it as the oldest surviving Noh stage.

Visiting the Honganji Temple North Noh Stage

Honganji runs free guided tours of the precinct four times a day, open to all.

The temple's history and visiting information are on the Honganji group page.