ASAGAYA TAKIGINOH

The Subtle and Profound World of Takiginoh with Crackling Brazier Flames
[published September 2024]

Asagaya Takiginoh is a Noh and Kyogen performance event that takes place at the Nohgakuden (Noh stage) of Asagaya Shinimeigu Shrine every May. Starting in 2017, this event is organized by the Asagaya Noh Association, an executive committee led by a group of local volunteers. Takiginoh is a type of Noh performance illuminated by a blazing brazier on a summer evening and is one of the Shinto and Buddhist rituals said to have originated in the Heian period (794 – 1185). This sacred rite can be enjoyed here in modern-day Asagaya.

The program consists of two parts – for the first part, local elementary school pupils who have attended the Noh experience course perform Rengin recited by several performers and Shimai, a simplified Noh dance, both of which are from the climax part of the play. During the intermission, a priest and a shrine maiden make a solemn entry and perform the “Kagaribi tenka no gi” (brazier lighting ceremony) to light the brazier with the torch.

Watching a Noh and Kyogen performance in this sacred place with the sound of a brazier flame crackling in the stillness is truly a special experience. It is one of the events in Suginami that offers a glimpse of Japan’s classical performing arts.
One week prior to this event, a pre-performance lecture “Getting to know Noh” is also held every year for those who attend a Noh and Kyogen performance for the first time.

For further details and a video, please visit the Asagaya Takiginoh official website (external link, in Japanese).

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