Noh Experience & Kushida Shrine

OVERVIEW

Watch an authentic Noh performance after touring the theater’s backstage and browse a Shinto shrine that was founded in the 8th century. The venue for the show will be the Morimoto Noh Theater, which has been purpose-built for Noh, a form of song and dance that is so essential to Japan that UNESCO has designated it an Intangible Cultural Heritage. As an introduction to this art form, you will receive a behind-the-scenes look at the stage, the dressing rooms and other elements essential to Noh. To further your cultural immersion, a master will teach you Noh movements in a workshop before the actual performance begins. Watching the show will be a mesmerizing and profound experience. Visiting the Kushida Shrine will be moving in more spiritual way as it is the oldest and most venerated shrine in Fukuoka. Be sure to notice the collection of Tengu masks and a 1,000-year-old ginko tree that symbolizes longevity of life.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy an insider’s tour of a Noh theater before watching an authentic Noh performance.
• Gain insight into why UNESCO added Noh to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
• Browse a Shinto shrine that has been revered since its founding in the 8th century.
• Spend a bit of free time shopping in Canal City Hakata mall.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.