Biography:

Born in 1949 in Kochi Prefecture, Kenichi Kasai studied Kabuki under Tetsuya Imao.
He worked as secretary/assistant for the famous Kabuki actor Mitsugoro Bando the �[.
Currently Mr. Kasai is a producer for Tessenkai, (Kanze School Noh) and editor in chief of the Noh magazine [Tessen] As a producer, Mr. Kasai experiments by bringing performers together from both traditional and contemporary arts, such as noh and modern play, tradition music and contemporary music. Mr. Kasai has produced Kabuki [Sonezaki Shinjyu]by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Contemporary Noh [Shiranui].Tokyo Geijutsu University lecturer.

The Hermit Isseki was featured in the Sunday Mainichi 7/10 edition. "Show shows that Einstein knows when Noh means Noh" - June 29, 2005

Biography:

Kanji Shimizu was born January 11, 1953 in Nara, Japan. He studied under Noh actor Nobuyuki Yamamoto as a university student. After graduating from Waseda University in Tokyo Japan, he became a member of the Tessen-kai where he studied Noh under the Great Master Hisao Kanze (1925-1978) and Tetsunojo Kanze the 8th (1931-2000). Kanji started his Noh acting career as a Shite-kata in the Noh drama “Tamura” and became an independent actor in 1982. He is known for his outstanding performance of Ze’amiza and his many international performances. He continues to design unique and novel Noh plays and co-established the group “Hibiki-no-kai” with Takao Nishimura in 1991. The group aims to carry on research of Noh and to interact with audiences through its monthly gatherings. In 2004, Kanji was honored with the status of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage. Currently he lives in Zama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan.

Noh actor Kanji Shimizu, starring in the upcoming Noh play “The Hermit Isseki” was featured in the February issue of AERA English 2007.

Biography:

He is the eldest son of the late Chojuro Okura who was the 15th originator of the Okura Style. (The Okura family has lasted for 650 years since Muromachi Era as one of the Noh musical accompaniment families in the field of Big Hand Drum and Small Hand Drum.)　He learned small hand drum from his father. At age 8, he appeared on stage. At age 17, he changed from the small hand drum to the big hand drum. Since then, he has tried to convey Japanese traditional culture and to seek possibilities through the big hand drum. He energetically performs in his own big hand drum performances on the Noh stages sponsored for himself, in the productions for Takigi Noh (Firewood Noh) stage and other types of performances, and in the live performance activities with foreign and Japanese artists. He is an artist and a culture producer who sends the wonderfulness of Japanese culture towards the world. Shonosuke Okura, who established his position in the field of the big hand drum as a solo musician, performed on the stage in commemoration of the Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Dalai Lama, and also performed at the Last Millennium Christmas Concert in the Vatican Palace Concert Hall in December 2000. He hits the drum with his palms, which is regarded as the most difficult way, and his style of his blending his body with his drum is highly acclaimed not only in Japan, but also in foreign countries. His music was used by the Japan Team for the Synchronized Swimming of the Olympic Game both in Atlanta and in Sydney. He has appeared in a Mercedes-Benz CM, and he has been widely introduced through TV, magazines, newspapers both domestically and internationally. Okura's CD, WORLD BEAT is released from America Piazza Plaza. WORLD BEAT is a collaboration of drummers and vocalists, including Native American drummer Dennis Banks, Narada Michael Walden, Greg Errico (formerly of Sly & The Family Stone,) and more. To listen to a track or purchase the CD. Traditional performing arts).

Biography:

Nishimura is a Kanze School shite actor. He was born in 1952 in Niigata, Japan. In 1972, Nishimura started his Noh training under Noriyuki Yamamoto at Kanze school, Waseda University. After having graduated from Waseda University in 1976, he studied as a shite actor at Tessen-kai under the late Toshio Kanze and Testunojo the 8th.

His first performance was in 1978 as “Tomo”acter in Tsutigumo. His first Shite performance was in 1980 in Hagoromo. He has been a freelance shite actor since 1982. As one of the leaders of shite acting at Tessen Kai, he has perfomed regularly, participated in many Ze’ami performances abroad. In 1991, he started the “Hibiki-no-kai” with Kanji Shimizu. In 1992, performed Dojyoji .

Nishimura is an instructor for the Noh-Kyogen study group at Tsukuba University and at Urawa Daiichi Joshi High School. In 2006, Nishimura produced a charity noh performance at Ojiya, Niigata, his birthplace and one of the hardest hit areas by the Niigata Earthquake.

In 2004, Nishimura was honored with the status of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage. He is a member of the Japan Noh Society and “Hibiki-no-kai”.. Currently, he lives in Itabashi, Tokyo.