March 10-June 3
Nogaku, traditional performances of noh and kyōgen plays, was once known as sarugaku or sarugo. The archaic terms are said to have their roots in the word "sangaku," meaning "miscellaneous arts," which included the non-native arts that merged with Japanese entertainment to become what it is known as noh today.
This exhibition of 350 traditional performance masks, including 80 designated Important Cultural Properties, from the late Heian period (794-1185), through the Kamakura (1185-1333), Yoshino (Nanbokucho, 1336-1392) and Muromachi (1392-1573) periods to the Momoyama Period (1568-1600), sheds light on the evolution and influence of sarugaku on sculpture, entertainment and literature.
Miho Museum; 300 Tashiro Momodani, Shigaraki-cho, Koka, Shiga. Ishiyama Stn. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. ¥1,100. Closed Mon. 0748-82-3411; www.miho.or.jp/en
