Manga about Prince Shotoku to be made into Noh-kyogen play
A classic manga by Ryoko Yamagishi featuring Prince Shotoku of ancient Japan will be adapted into a traditional Noh-kyogen drama piece.
Nomura Mansai, an acclaimed actor in 'kyogen,' a traditional form of comedic theater, will direct the stage production and play the protagonist, Prince Umayado, better known as Prince Shotoku, in 'Hi Izuru Tokoro no Tenshi' (The emperor of the land where the sun rises).
'The most difficult part is to play Umayado without ruining your image of the prince,' he said during an event held in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward to unveil the production. 'I hope I can fulfill everyone's expectations.'
The original manga is the author's representative work that was serialized from 1980 to 1984.
The story depicts the political machinations of the beautiful but cold-blooded Umayado and his fateful encounter with Soga no Emishi, an heir to a powerful regional family.
What garnered particular attention were scenes in which Umayado uses supernatural powers to connect with invisible beings.
'Noh-kyogen is also a stage that connects the netherworld and the human world,' Mansai said. 'I think we have a great advantage.'
The production is the second Noh-kyogen stage adaptation of a manga title following 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,' which premiered in 2022 based on Koyoharu Gotoge's comic series of the same name.
Ohtsuki Bunzo, a Noh actor designated as a living national treasure who reprises his role as supervisor, said they don't give preference to manga works for their subject matters, before adding: 'There is an interesting trend I had never imagined, and I want to make it a stage that can win the heart of the audience.'
Ohtsuki Yuichi, a Noh performer who plays Emishi's younger sister, Tojiko no Iratsume, said he found similarities between Noh theater and the original manga's frame compositions, which feature beautifully illustrated characters against the white background.
'There are common grounds with Noh theater's appeal, which is the balance between 'stillness and dynamism.' I strongly felt the affinity,' he said.
The production's slogan, 'Hara to sora: Itoshiki omoi wo izukuni hanatsuzo' (Womb and sky: To where should my loving feelings be released?), was conceived by Mansai.
'There are a microcosmos of humans and a macrocosmos that surrounds humans. It feels like both are connected when things are seen with Umayado at the center,' he said.
'The distinctive feature of Noh-kyogen is that they transcend reasons with the help of symbolic scenes. I hope the audience will say, 'Hi Izuru Tokoro no Tenshi' is now complete thanks to Noh-kyogen.'
When asked whether she saw similarities between her manga and Noh-kyogen in terms of expression in an interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Yamagishi said that she did.
'I'm interested in the afterworld and things that lie between life and death, and a lot of such things are also present in 'Hi Izuru Tokoro no Tenshi.' After all, Umayado is someone who peeks into the netherworld,' she said.
'While the manga portrays such a world, I received the offer for the stage adaptation in the style of Noh-kyogen that deals with the netherworld and the human world, and I thought to myself that it would be perfect in a way.'
The show will be staged at the Kanze Noh Theater in Tokyo's Ginza district on Aug. 7-10, with additional dates on Dec. 1-2.
Tickets are sold out.
Visit the official website at (https://hiizurutokoro-nohkyogen.com/).
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