Noh is probably one of the most difficult traditional arts for many Japanese people to understand. I've been covering noh for nearly 3-1/2 years now, but I still can't make out much of the dialogue, which is composed of ancient language. I'm painfully reminded of my lack of cultivation every time, as many of the stories originate from ancient literature such as "The Tale of the Heike." I also know that the dancing in noh is elegant, but I'm not confident in my ability to explain its appeal to others.
As I was struggling with that dilemma, a recently published book came to my rescue. Titled "Lebanon kara Kita Nohgakushi no Tsuma" (The noh performer's wife from Lebanon), it was written by Madeleine Umewaka, the wife of Naohiko Umewaka.
Madeleine endured a harsh childhood, growing up during the civil war in Lebanon with bullets flying inside her home. She came to Japan during her high school years to escape the devastation. She and Naohiko met at an international school they both attended in Kobe. After a number of twists and turns, she accepted his proposal a few years later in 1982 and they were married.
Madeleine conveys her candid thoughts in the book, choosing her words carefully as she speaks both from the "outside" perspective of a foreign national and the "inside" perspective of a noh performer's wife. She talks about such good elements as her husband and other performers devoting body and soul to this art form passed down through the generations, as well as the negative side of noh culture that has long been tolerant of infidelity.
Reading her book, I became interested in Madeleine's life and asked her for an interview.
One reason she thinks her marriage has lasted a long time is the similarities in Japanese and Lebanese attitudes toward family. "For we Lebanese, dedication to your family, to your husband is the most important thing," she said.
This year marks 38 years for the international marriage that friends and family worried wouldn't last a year. "In Lebanon we express everything in words, but my husband never says 'I love you.' But he shows me how he feels through kind actions," Madeleine said with a smile.
Their two children have become video artists and have filmed a documentary about noh among other projects.
Madeleine said she actually watched noh in Japan before she met Naohiko and was deeply moved by it.
"I also watched things like kabuki and bunraku puppet theater in a general way, but noh had the strongest impact on me," Madeleine said. "I felt like I was seeing the Japan of long ago."
Since her marriage, Madeleine has worked to expand knowledge of noh both inside Japan and out, efforts that have included producing new noh plays in which Naohiko appears.
"To people who say noh is difficult and they can't understand it, [I would say] you don't have to understand it. Feel it," Madeleine advised. "It's the same as opera. I'm sure people will get the emotion.
"I like sharing good things," she said of the energy that powers her life. It's been three months since the book's publication, and Madeleine said it had made her happy to hear comments from readers like "I want to see noh now."
Noh is a treasure of Madeleine's life, and speaking with her made my heart feel as clear as a blue sky.
--Morishige covers traditional performing arts.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
