At this time of year — and also in April and May, when it is neither too hot nor too cold for performers or audiences — takigi (firelight) noh is performed throughout Japan. Preferred venues are outdoor noh stages in the precincts of shrines, but as these are rare, special ones are often built in other suitable locations.
These performances are widely advertised — a picture of flames and a noh mask provides a clue, and regional tourist offices and information centers can be helpful in finding out dates, times and venues. It is worth the research and effort because takigi noh is one of the most hauntingly beautiful dramatic performances that can be experienced.
For a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime taste of the art form, there is nowhere better than the Asaba Ryokan near Shuzenji in the mountains of the Izu Peninsula south of Tokyo. There, with a pond in front and mountain greenery behind, an ancient noh stage that was once on the estate of the Daimyo Maeda family in Kanzawa has been reconstructed and is still in use. To see takigi noh in this superb location, from the luxury of a traditional ryokan (hotel) is to experience for a night the life of a 17th-century nobleman.