Yesterday evening I met Kari and Sarah to watch the Takigi Noh drama performed at Kanazawa Castle grounds. Takigi means “bonfire” and Noh is a traditional Japanese musical theatre. Noh actors wear lacquer-coated wooden masks and are dressed in amazing costumes.
The setting was truly stunning, an open air stage right in front of the castle surrounded by small fires. I honestly had to pinch myself that I was there. We didn’t really understand what was going on, they speak in a type of ancient Shakespearean equivalent Japanese so even if I was fluent I wouldn’t have understood, but just being there was enough for me.
Kari then suggested we went firefly (aka lightening bug) spotting. For those who don’t have a clue what a firefly is, they’re the nocturnal flies that flash light when they fly. It looks like lots of mini flash torches in the dark. Now it might sound silly but this is a serious seasonal event in Japan, one of the many reasons why Japan is so endearing! They have an area just outside the Kenrokuen dedicated for spotting! It was full of kids and parents, even expert firefly catchers with little nets so we could get a closer look. I’m absolutely gutted that there was a problem uploading my videos so lost the little fella who I got on film.
Brilliant night all round!
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