Noh and Kyogen Masks: Tradition and Modernity in the Art of Kitazawa Hideta

Featuring breathtaking photographs of masks created by a renowned twenty-first-century craftsman, this book provides a unique perspective into noh and kyogen, two of the oldest surviving forms of theater in the world.

Kitazawa Hideta is a traditional Japanese master craftsman, Shinto-temple carver and mask maker for both classical noh and kyogen theater. This gorgeous volume features more than sixty of his performance masks, presented in striking full-page photographs that allow readers to appreciate their level of detail. These meticulous creations are carved from hinoki wood, decorated with layers of gesso-paint, and thin watercolor antiquing, and sometimes include materials such as horsehair and gold paint.

Readers are introduced first to classical and then to contemporary noh and kyogen masks and are invited into Hideta’s workshop to explore the characteristics of the wood he uses, and the processes of creating, restoring, and wearing the masks. An overview of the basic elements of noh and kyogen theater, and reflections from museums that have worked with Kitazawa, complete this vibrant, immersive journey that celebrates the work of a contemporary artist who is not only preserving a centuriesold theatrical tradition, but also remaking it for modern audiences.

About the Authors:

Jannette Cheong is a poet, playwright, and designer. She has collaborated with Oshima Noh Theatre, Richard Emmert, and Kitazawa Hideta for almost two decades. Uniquely, she has written three noh pieces in English: Pagoda (2009, 2011); Opposites-InVerse (2017), blending noh, opera and ballet; and Between the Stones (2020). She lives in London.

Richard Emmert is the founder and former artistic director of Theatre Nohgaku, which is dedicated to performing noh in English. He has worked in North America, Europe and Asia and has composed music in noh style for English, French, and Spanish language noh. Awarded the Koizumi Prize in 2019, he is Professor Emeritus of Musashino University. He lives in Tokyo.