A project to brand Osaka’s culture, arts, and traditional performing arts, and create a city that attracts repeat visitors.

A project to promote the appeal of Osaka’s culture and arts leading up to EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
They are creating initiatives to help inbound tourists enjoy Osaka’s traditional performing arts more, such as performances, workshops, and opening up cultural facilities to deepen their understanding of Kamigata traditional performing arts.

Origin of the project

A project has been launched to enhance the appeal of Kamigata traditional performing arts, such as Noh and Kyogen, which have been handed down in Osaka for generations, and to strengthen the promotion of their strengths and attractiveness ahead of the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai.

Project activities

Yamamoto Noh Theatre is committed to producing original performances with fresh perspectives to showcase the beauty of Noh as a captivating art form for contemporary audiences around the world. They are also engaged in educational and cultural initiatives. They have been actively involved in overseas performances. Since 2016, they have participated annually in the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, one of the three major theater festivals in Europe, becoming the first Japanese Noh troupe to do so. They performed in Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece in 2024.

Future Prospects for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo

For the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, they are considering omnibus English-language showcase performances of several Kamigata traditional performing arts, “participatory and hands-on” Noh performances in which foreigners can participate, “private firelit Noh performances” that preserve the atmosphere of the Warring States Period, and overseas promotion.
In 2025, they have decided to hold a performance on June 18 at the EXPO Hall (Main Exhibition Hall/Shine Hat) at the Expo site. At that time, they hope that the approximately 2,000 people in the audience will join us in chanting the Inochino Noh play “Mizu no Wa (Circle of Water),” which was created in Osaka, the City of Water, to convey to the world from Osaka the preciousness of Osaka’s beautiful water and the “sense of respect for water.