■Event Report■
Tadasu Noh - A Noh festival held at Tadasu no Mori Forest at Shimogamo Shrine

Features of this Plan

• An Ancient Forest in the Heart of Kyoto

  

  Tadasu-no-Mori, literally “Forest of Purification,” is a rare stretch of ancient woodland located in the heart of Kyoto. Covering approximately 12 hectares, this primeval forest has survived since the Jomon period and is home to a diverse range of plant species. Often referred to as a “living time capsule,” the forest forms part of the sacred grounds of Shimogamo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It stands as a testament to Japan’s enduring reverence for nature, where the spiritual and the natural have long been intertwined.

• The Spiritual Significance of Shrine Forests

  

  In Shinto, Japan’s indigenous belief system, natural elements such as trees, rocks, and rivers are believed to house kami—divine spirits. Sacred forests known as chinju no mori were traditionally preserved around villages to serve as buffers between human life and the divine realm. Tadasu-no-Mori is one of the most well-preserved examples of this tradition, having remained largely untouched for over a thousand years, even as modern Kyoto grew around it.

• Tadasu Noh: A Performing Art in Harmony with the Forest

  

  Tadasu Noh is an annual outdoor Noh dedication held in this sacred forest. Rather than relying on modern stage (maiden) lighting or amplification, the dedication is illuminated by torchlight and accompanied only by traditional instruments.

  When the music pauses, natural sounds emerge: the crackling of firewood, the patter of rain on leaves. Human dedication blends into the rhythms of the forest, and the boundaries between art and nature begin to dissolve.

  On the day of this year’s dedication, it rained steadily. Nonetheless, the dedication went ahead. The sound of raindrops hitting the forest canopy became a new “natural instrument,” adding to the chorus of chants and drums. The result was a soundscape found nowhere else—raw, fleeting, and deeply immersive.

• Reverence for All Living Things

  

  The Japanese phrase yaoyorozu no kami refers to the “eight million gods,” a poetic way of expressing the belief that spirits dwell in all things. At Tadasu Noh, the actor seems not only to perform a role but to embody the voice of the forest itself. The audience, in turn, experiences moments when the line between humanity and nature becomes beautifully blurred.

• Passing on the Culture of  Ma (Sacred Space and Silence)

  

  Tadasu Noh expresses a uniquely Japanese sensibility: the value of quietude, stillness, and the space between sounds—known as ma. The dedication avoids artificial lighting and sound, inviting the audience to spend 90 minutes immersed in darkness, silence, and subtlety. In doing so, it offers a rare chance to reconnect with a sensibility that modern life too often pushes aside.

  Attending Tadasu Noh is not merely a cultural outing—it is a contemplative act. It invites us to consider how we live with nature, how we listen, and what it means to share space with the more-than-human world. It is a quiet but powerful reminder that harmony is not something to be imposed, but something to be felt—and honored.