Home Community ‘What is Noh?’ Paul Atkins Lecture

‘What is Noh?’ Paul Atkins Lecture

A scene from “Funa Benkei” [Benkei in a Boat] with Takeda Munemori (masked). It is set in the time of the Genpei War, 1180-1185, waged along Japan’s Inland Sea, and memorialized in “The Tale of the Heike.”

Part ritual, part entertainment, Noh drama has been elevated to high art over the past six hundred years. This Zoom talk by Paul Atkins will provide an introduction to this fascinating dramatic form: its performance traditions, themes, history, and philosophy. It is open to the public and intended for those without previous familiarity with Noh or the Japanese language.

Paul Atkins is a professor of Japanese in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He teaches and writes about the classical language, literature, and culture of Japan with a particular emphasis on its medieval era (ca. 1150-1600).

There will be a Q&A at the end of the lecture where Professor Atkins will answer questions from the audience. The event will also be recorded and posted on the website of the event  sponsor, Washin Kai (Friends of Classical Japanese,  below).

Washi Kai was formed in 2018 to preserve and strengthen classical Japanese studies at UW. It is a group of volunteers from the Puget Sound community with strong ties to UW and to Japan.

If you are not able to watch the lecture live, please visit the website to watch the lecture video and better familiarize yourself with Noh before the UW’s second Noh event, “The World of Noh Drama with Takeda Munenori” on October 13.


Noh Lecture: Wed Sep 22 7-8:30 pm

Register at asian.washington.edu/washin-kai-events (free)

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The North American Post is a community newspaper that celebrates Japanese culture in the Greater Seattle area. Founded by 1st generation Japanese-Americans in 1902, the publication is one of the oldest minority-owned newspapers in the region. Today, with bilingual articles in English and Japanese, the publication connects readers with diverse cultural backgrounds to Seattle’s Japanese community. Our articles include local news, event calendars, restaurant reviews, Japanese cooking recipes, community interviews, and more.