Changes

*''Japanese'': お能 ''(o-nou)'', 能楽 ''(nougaku)''

*''Japanese'': お能 ''(o-nou)'', 能楽 ''(nougaku)''

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, and is said to be the oldest continuing dramatic form in the world.<ref>[[Albert M. Craig]], ''The Heritage of Japanese Civilization'', Second Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 57.; also, presentation by Katayama Kurôemon X, at "Master Artists from Japan: Living Traditions," University of California at Santa Barbara, 27 January 2014.</ref> 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]].

Performed painstakingly slowly, Noh focuses on conceptual and aesthetic impact, rather than lengthy or complex plots, and employs a minimum of set pieces, props, and cast members. Performance consists chiefly of two portions: ''utai'' (song/chant) and ''mai'' (dance), and while attention is most certainly paid to dramatic imitation (''monomane'') of the figure being portrayed (e.g. a madwoman, an old man, a deity), emphasis is placed on masterful performance of the forms, in order to effect a moving experience for the audience. Noh is also the most spiritual, or ritual, of the major traditional theatre forms, and performance is also seen as a form of meditation for the actors, and as a prayer of sorts for the spirits.

Performed painstakingly slowly, Noh focuses on conceptual and aesthetic impact, rather than lengthy or complex plots, and employs a minimum of set pieces, props, and cast members. Performance consists chiefly of two portions: ''utai'' (song/chant) and ''mai'' (dance), and while attention is most certainly paid to dramatic imitation (''monomane'') of the figure being portrayed (e.g. a madwoman, an old man, a deity), emphasis is placed on masterful performance of the forms, in order to effect a moving experience for the audience. Noh is also the most spiritual, or ritual, of the major traditional theatre forms, and performance is also seen as a form of meditation for the actors, and as a prayer of sorts for the spirits.