TOKYO - A Noh performance created to support recovery from the Noto Peninsula earthquake was staged in Tokyo on January 25th after an unusual crowdfunding campaign led by a member of Japan’s Imperial family raised more than 13 million yen in donations over three months.
The newly produced work, titled Urushi Kuyo, was presented as a prayer for reconstruction and as a way to draw attention to Noto’s traditional lacquer craft industry, which was heavily affected by the 2024 earthquake.
The piece was based on a waka poem written by Princess Akiko of the Mikasa family, with Noh performer Kanze Kiyokazu serving as supervisor, and the story was built around a lacquer artisan as its central figure.
Scenes depicted traditional techniques such as urushi-kaki, the process of making cuts in lacquer trees to collect sap, highlighting both the craftsmanship and the cultural heritage behind the industry.
Many artisans in Noto suffered damage in the earthquake, raising concerns that the region’s lacquer traditions could be lost, and the crowdfunding effort was launched to help support those involved in the craft and keep the skills alive for future generations.
Princess Akiko said she had worked toward the performance in the belief that offering a Noh play in solidarity with those affected, and with everyone connected to Noto’s lacquer industry, could help in some small way to support the recovery.
She also expressed hope that Urushi Kuyo will continue to be performed and that it can one day be staged in Noto itself.
Source: FNN
