Takigi Noh

Annual outdoor performance of traditional Noh theater staged over two evenings in early June at the Heian Shrine in Kyoto, performed by firelight from blazing bonfires. The masked performers, ritualized movements, and haunting music of shamisen and flute take on a different quality entirely under the open night sky with the flames casting moving shadows across the stage. Noh is among the oldest continuously performed theatrical traditions in the world, and the outdoor setting brings the ceremony closer to its spiritual origins than a modern theater allows. Seating is on provided mats on the ground. Tickets sell out before the event, so check the schedule and book early.