Noh is the oldest, and most elite, or culturally refined, of the major forms of Japanese traditional drama. Developed in the early 15th century, it came to be patronized by the samurai class, and especially the [[Muromachi shogunate|Muromachi]] and [[Tokugawa shogunate]]s and provincial [[daimyo]], becoming more widely accessible beginning in the [[Meiji period]]. | Noh is the oldest, and most elite, or culturally refined, of the major forms of Japanese traditional drama. Developed in the early 15th century, it came to be patronized by the samurai class, and especially the [[Muromachi shogunate|Muromachi]] and [[Tokugawa shogunate]]s and provincial [[daimyo]], becoming more widely accessible beginning in the [[Meiji period]]. |