Special program of Noh and Tea culture,
traditional experience in Kanazawa!

What is Noh?

Noh is an integrated performing art, and a classic Japanese culture handed down over 650 years. Noh is characterized by its simplicity. Unlike kabuki or modern theater, the Noh stage on which Noh is performed does not have a large stage set or props. The stage is an open space. The core concept of Noh is one encounter per lifetime（一期一会) which is shared with the spirit of the tea ceremony. Since 1950s, Noh plays outside Japan have increased. and In 2008, Noh was designated as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

The History of Noh in Kanazawa

420 years ago, a samurai called Maeda Toshiie built a castle in Kanazawa and he formed the basis for Kanazawa city’s development. Maeda Toshiie cherished Noh, a samurai culture, and he himself performed Shimai, a kind of Noh dancing. Due to this, not only the samurai warriors, but also the townspeople living in Kanazawa came to practice Noh performance. Even today this is handed down as a local culture within Kanazawa. 

Nowadays, Noh is still performed in our daily lives.
Celebrations such as weddings are places where we can hear Noh chanting.

Noh consists of dancing by the main character called “Shite” and
music of Noh chanting and background music called “hayashi” consisting of the drum, the big hand drum, the small drum, and the Noh flute.

This is an atelier where you can experience true Japan through actual practice of Noh and tea ceremony, which are representative of Japanese culture. Participants will deepen their proper understanding of Japanese culture by practicing living Japanese culture in a Kanazawa machiya*, which has been carefully preserved privately for many years.

*Machiya is wooden building with traditional structure, form, or design in Kanazawa City conveying the history, tradition, and culture of the city, and that was in existence when the Building Standards Law (excluding temples and shrines) was enacted in 1950.

 

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Atelier Menu

• Atelier 1: Noh tsuzumi (hand drum)
  This is an atelier for practicing Noh tsuzumi (hand drum) at the Konohana Dojo of the Hyakumangoku Noh Society, which is made of Japanese cypress. Participants will experience the world of Noh by actually playing the tsuzumi, a traditional Japanese musical instrument. By practicing Noh, rather than watching it, you will deepen your understanding of Japanese culture.
  
• Atelier 2: Noh dance
  This is an atelier to practice Noh dance at the Konohana Dojo of the Hyakumangoku Noh Society, which is made of Japanese cypress. Participants will experience the world of Noh and deepen their understanding of Japanese culture by dancing Noh themselves, rather than watching it.
  
•  Atelier 3: Tea ceremony
  In this atelier, you will prepare two very different types of tea, Uji special matcha and Kaga-bocha, by yourself in the “Ao-no-ma” Japanese machiya, which is not open to the public. The blue wall in this room are covered with special blue dying material, which only higher ranking samurai were allowed to use in the Edo period. Matcha will be served with Kami-gashi sweets made by Kasho Matsui, and Kaga-bocha will be served with chocolates and cookies made by the royal family of Belgium, allowing you to experience the fusion of Japanese and Western food cultures.
  
• Atelier 4: Samurai Culture
  In this atelier, participants will experience the Samurai culture of Noh and tea ceremony while wearing the formal costume of the Samurai, Eboshi and Hitatare. As a samurai, you will experience the drum and dance of Noh in the Konohana Dojo, a hinoki cypress structure, and enjoy matcha green tea in the Ao-no-ma, a closed-to-the-public Japanese townhouse building, to experience Japanese culture in its entirety.
  

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/// FIT package

We can arrange this tour for individual, family, or the small group, following to your designated date, through the year.

/// Guide Price

We offer you the guiding rate as below:

Order until 4 days or more before to tour date
Group Member	up to 4 hours	8 hours	excess 8 hours additional charge
1-5	30,000JPY/group	45,000JPY/group	4,500JPY/group・hours
6-10	3,000JPY/person add to above	6,000JPY/person add to above	3,000JPY/person add to above

 

Order after 3 days before to tour date  (emergency treatment)
Group Member	up to 4 hours	8 hours	excess 8 hours additional charge
1-5	40,000JPY/group	55,000JPY/group	5,500JPY/group・hours
6-10	3,000JPY/person add to above	6,000JPY/person add to above	3,000JPY/person add to above

※ Booking is preferable 2 weeks or more in advance.
※Each price needs to add consumption tax. (currently 10%)

Price Include:

• English (or other languages) speaking guide
  (English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Thai)
• Hotel pick-up in central Kanazawa area , ask us in the case of traveling the other area
• Transportation for guide (limited to public ones)

Price Exclude:

• Transportation for customers
• Entrance fee for customers and guide
• Food and drink fee for customers and guide
• Consumption tax

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/// Additional arrangement

Regarding these standard courses, we can arrange the plan upon your request by adding / deleting destinations, and combining other courses before and after, making reservations of accommodation, transportation, restaurants, or event tickets, etc. Please contact us by all means.

Please see here for the arrangement fee.

ex.1 Arrangement for accommodation
Room charge 10,000yen(1night 1person) + Commission 1,650yen(incl. c-tax)=Total 11,650yen 

ex.2 Arrangement for additional transportation
Super express train 20,000yen(1person) + Commission 3,300yen(incl. c-tax)=Total 23,300yen 

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/// Cancellation Policy

Cancellation Policy for above course;

Days to Departure	Cancellation Charge
More than 15 days	5% of trip price
14-8 days	50% of trip price
7-2 days	80% of trip price
1 day or Less, No Show	100% of trip price

Please refer to “Price, Terms and Conditions” for other detailed regulations.

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/// Application Form

Please select the course and fill in the below box;

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/// Payment

Payment can be settled by credit card (Paypal or Stripe).
After your booking, we will send you an invoice, then after your payment by credit card, the booking would be completed.

 

/// Contact

If you have any questions or offer to book, please send an email. We welcome even little questions! Don’t hesitate, and see you in Japan!!

Contact us:   info@i-travel-square.tokyo