Excursion on October 5th

The excursion includes a lunch box and will take you to two places: the east gardens of the imperial palace and Kita Roppeita 14th memorial Noh theater

East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

The imperial palace is the residence of the reigning emperor and his family. The area of the imperial palace was the location of the Edo castle before
the Meiji restoration (19th century). East gardens are located next to the
imperial palace. The East gardens contain the core parts of the former Edo castle: Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru. Honmaru is the most interior part of a castle that includes the Tenshu (donjon or keep). The Tenshu of Edo castle was lost in the 1657 fire of Meireki and never reconstructed, but the foundation of the Tenshu remains in Honmaru.
The east gardens were part of the imperial palace, but opened to the public from 1968. Over 1 million people visited the gardens in 2015. The remains of the castle, Japanese gardens, and imperial family related facilities can be seen in the garden.

Kita Roppeita 14th memorial Noh theater

The origin of the Kita family can be traced back in 16th century. The founder, Kita Shichidayu Chounou (or Kita Roppeita 1st), was an aide of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the first bushi who unified Japan. The Kita family style is a rather new Noh style, which was established in the early Edo period. They are known to have bushi spirit and their Noh style is known to be simple, powerful, and heroic. For this reason, many daimyo (local rulers) preferred Kita style. Kita Roppeita 14th was the first head of the family after the Meiji restoration. He was a legendary Noh dancer whose skill was comparable to Kita Roppeita 1st. He built three Noh theaters in his lifetime: Iidabashi (destroyed by the Great Kanto earthquake), Yotsuya (destroyed by the second world war), and the current theater. The theater is named after this great head of the family.

Noh Workshop by Keisuke Shiotsu program
1. Introduction to Noh
2. Do not see, but imagine it.
   Play "Yashima"
3. About masks
   Five masks, Koomote, Shoujyou, Sankohjyo, Uba, and Ayakashi.
   Play "Hagoromo kiri"
4. About costume
   Play "Funabenkei kiri"
5. Practice posture and breath of Noh

Biography of Keisuke Shiotsu
Born in 1984 as the first son of Tetsuo Shiotsu, the Noh protagonist of Kita School and "the human national treasure" since 1986. Mr. Keisuke Shotsu was first on the stage at the age of three. He played his first leading character in 1992, "Shoujyou midare" in 2011, and "Doujyouji" in 2015. Mr. Shiotsu produces "Wakamono Noh" (Noh of the young, by the young,and for the young). Mr. Shiotsu holds a part-time Lecturer position at APU Ritsumeikan Asia-Passific University. A member of Nohgaku Performance Association, Tokyo Branch. A trustee of the Roppeita 14th Memorial Fundation.