Noh Theatre and iemoto

When we were reviewing Noh theatre, the idea of iemoto, and tributary payment surprised me. Iemoto, as Professor Aguas has already explained, is head of  certain schools of Japanese art. This not only pertains to Noh theatre, but also tea ceremonies, calligraphy, music, and martial arts. It is because of this iemoto system that  Noh theatre has survived: heavy regulation of the performances has ensured that tradition would always take precedence over newer works. Furthermore, what surprised me about iemoto was that it 'licenses' the arts: certifying approved individuals to pass on the school's teachings. These certificates are usually paid for: in Noh, a certificate to perform a play can reach 2 million yen.

How can such a system preserve a way of life, a cultural art, for so long? From what I researched about iemoto, the key is a hierarchal system not unlike the role of the members of a family. As a result, iemoto mirrors the societal norms of Japanese culture.

Like iemoto, the Japanese family, or kazoku, is based on a line of desent - linking the family members by the idea of genealogy. With this, all family members are expected to play their role to perpetuate the family: maintaining it and continuing it as an institution.

However, iemoto is not without its flaws. As a system relying completely on genealogy, it has been described as nepotistic and undemocratic - with the family members having complete control over what is done. A more (in my opinion) westernized alternative to iemoto has emerged, during the Meiji Restoration, which created a democratic presidential system. However, the implications of straying off the iemoto is a topic for another day.

After reading this, I feel as though Liz Tait's question - "Why aren't there women in Noh theatre?" becomes easier to understand. In my own rationalization, the reason that women aren't prevalent in Noh theatre is that are expected to fulfill their own familial duty. For example, if women in a certain family have been learning the art of tea ceremonies for centuries, breaking from that tradition to learn Noh would jeopardize the preservation of the tea ceremony (that is not to say the daughter has ever wanted to perform Noh, or the son has ever wanted to perform the tea ceremony). Yes, the rejection of women in Noh theatre may have been borne out of misogynist roots, but its current state is rather the result of iemoto, and kazoku.