RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--In the darkness of the night, with few spectators present, Noh actors performed a traditional drama as a dedication to disaster victims on Oct. 21 in front of a symbolic lone pine tree here that withstood the March 2011 tsunami.
RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--In the darkness of the night, with few spectators present, Noh actors performed a traditional drama as a dedication to disaster victims on Oct. 21 in front of a symbolic lone pine tree here that withstood the March 2011 tsunami.
The performance of "Hagoromo" (Feathered robe) was meant to pray for the souls of the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami as well as to pray for the rebuilding of the disaster-struck areas.
The play seemed apropos, since it is based on folklore involving a fisherman finding a feathered robe of a woman who came down from heaven hanging in the branches of a pine tree.
Musical accompaniment in the form of flutes and drums was heard in the night.
The performance was planned by Jin's Project, a nonprofit organization headed by Jin Orio, and had the cooperation of the Rikuzentakata municipal government. Among those performing was Tatsuya Hatta, who heads a project that seeks to provide psychological solace through Noh.
"As many ruins of the natural disaster are dismantled, there are concerns that people will forget what happened," Orio said. "Through the traditional arts, we hope to support both local residents as well as provide a catalyst to help those people living outside of the disaster-hit areas to also think about the importance of passing on what occurred here."
The group plans to hold full-fledged performances in line with the third anniversary of the disaster, which will fall on March 11, 2014.
There were only a few spectators at the Oct. 21 performance because the primary objective was to dedicate the play to victims in front of the 27-meter tree, and no prior notice was given about the Noh performance.
Of about 70,000 trees in the Takata Matsubara pine forest, it was the only one that withstood the more-than-13 meter high tsunami. Although the tree later died because the soil turned saline from the seawater, it was preserved as a memorial at a cost of 150 million yen ($1.5 million).
The two groups have held volunteer Noh performances this year in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, and other locations.