Question and Answer

 Japanese people didn’t used to have back pain?

It is said that Japanese people didn’t used to have back pain. Many reasons are cited having to do with old Japanese customs, including the wearing of the belt-like obi and sitting in the seiza. Back pain and posture are closely related, and wearing the obi naturally extends the spine. This is because tying the obi around the pelvis straightens the line from the head, down the spine and to the lower back. The obi used to play the same role as waist bands worn by those with back pain now do.

Then there is the seiza. In Noh also, when the vocal are sung, seiza is the basic position. The voice is produced from the belly in Noh chants, and many people have experience how sitting in seiza allows the belly to relax and it become easier to speak or sing. Seiza is a uniquely Japanese way of sitting that started in the Edo era with the samurai class in which the bottom rests directly on top of the feet and a straight line can be drawn from the top of the head through the spine, naturally creating good posture. When the posture is extended like this, there is less stress of the lower back, drawing awareness to the diaphragm and naturally bringing strength to the belly.

In ancient China, “head empty, belly full” was said to be the basis of good health. It was said that with the head relaxed and the belly full of energy one could live a long happy life. This means that the ancient Japanese were naturally taking care of their backs by wearing obi and sitting in seiza.

(May. 23, 2011)

Question 96 | Question 98

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• Question 161How many kinds of Noh mask are there?
• Question 160What is the record number of performances in one day?
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• Question 154Who was the rival of Kan’ami and Zeami?
• Question 153Are there any everyday terms that originate in Noh?
• Question 152Did samurai “Noh fanatics” sometimes go too far?
• Question 151Are there any unusual Noh theatres?
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• Question 149Was there a Noh stage in Edo Castle?
• Question 148Is it possible to learn Noh performance for personal interest?
• Question 147What sort of old customs live on in Noh plays?
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• Question 144Why do singers put their fans in front of their knees?
• Question 143A Noh version of the Ninth Symphony?
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• Question 141Are there two spaces on the Noh stage?
• Question 140Which performing arts has Noh influenced?
• Question 139Were there Noh actors who worked as warriors?
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• Question 136Has anyone from a Noh family been outstanding in another field?
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• Question 132What role does the fan play in Noh performance?
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• Question 130Tell us about unique Noh plays surviving in rural areas.
• Question 129Is it true the cypress stage floor is alive?
• Question 128What sort of a play is “Utsubo-zaru,” which features a juvenile role?
• Question 127What are the origins of the designs of kendai?
• Question 126How are costumes used for many years cared for?
• Question 125How do tsure and waki actors choose their costumes?
• Question 124What are the design rules for Noh fans?
• Question 123Was Natsume Soseki a Noh lover?
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• Question 120What is the link between “Yoroboshi” and Shitennō-ji?
• Question 119Was Ii Naosuke a Noh/Kyogen playwright?
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• Question 116How did Noh become a ceremonial performance for the Edo Shogunate?
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• Question 113Where does the sliding walk in the Noh performance come from?
• Question 112Was author Izumi Kyōka from the family of a Noh performer?
• Question 111Which Japanese films show the influence of Noh?
• Question 110Does each school have its own design patterns for the fans?
• Question 109Why are Tenkawa shrine and Noh closely connected?
• Question 108What role did koutai play in terakoya in the Edo period?
• Question 107Do the costumes vary with the pieces being performed?
• Question 106Does the term "shibai" come from Noh?
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• Question 99What are some benefits of Noh vocalization?
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• Question 88Are Noh performers all-rounders?
• Question 87Are there any solo performances by Noh musicians?
• Question 86Why go to su-utai?
• Question 85Is nakairi an interval?
• Question 84What special way is the small tabor played in Dojoji
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• Question 80What kind of place is the setting for Utou?
• Question 79Is an ad lib a result of the performance?
• Question 78Is there a play in which the audience takes a part?
• Question 77Why do actors stand still for such a long time?
• Question 76What is the voice from behind the curtain?
• Question 75How many plays are performed?
• Question 74Do actors always change their costumes at the same moment?
• Question 73Why do musicians call out?
• Question 72What are the basic sounds of the small tabor?
• Question 71Is a drum always involved in the music?
• Question 70How much preparation time is needed for the large tabor?
• Question 69How many times does the call bell ring?
• Question 68What is the basic tone in Noh music?
• Question 67What does "komi" mean in the Noh world?
• Question 66Who is watched at the beginning of the performance?
• Question 65What kind of characters appear in Noh?
• Question 64How many fue (flutes) does a fuekata (flute player) have in a lifetime?
• Question 63Are koutai a way to understand Noh more quickly?
• Question 62Is there a third passageway in on a Noh stage?
• Question 61Are Noh performances always the same?
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• Question 59What is meant by iroiri when discussing Noh costumes?
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• Question 51Who is the "overseer" of the stage?
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• Question 36What do the pillars around the Noh stage signify?
• Question 35Is there any special technique in making female masks?
• Question 34How do you operate the entrance curtain?
• Question 33Do Zeami’s manuscripts exist today?
• Question 32How do they start the torchlights used for outdoor performances?
• Question 31When did kagami-ita, the symbol of the Noh theatre, first appear?
• Question 30In what period did books of Noh chants become popular publications?
• Question 29Is Takigi-noh performed even if it rains?
• Question 28What is Hakama-noh?
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• Question 24Is there any special aspect in a Noh actor's folding fan?
• Question 23Do actors ever fall from the stage?
• Question 22How heavy is a Noh costume?
• Question 21Which Noh stages are designated as national treasures?
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• Question 19Is it true that Noh music does not have definite tonality?
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• Question 14 Nessun dorma, signore e signori!sun dorma, signore e signori!
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