Traditional masked performing arts of Japan (theatre and dance)
Kagura ("god-entertainment") is a specific type of Shinto ritual ceremonial dance. Its name indicates the presence of god in the practice. It involves a procession-trance process. Usually a female shaman will perform the dance and obtain the oracle from the god----in the setting, the dancer herself turns into god during the performance. Once strictly a ceremonial art, today it is very much a living tradition, with rituals tied to the rhythms of the agricultural calendar.
Gigaku was a form of Buddhist processional dance-drama, which reached Japan in the 7th century from Central Asia through Korea and China. It blended religious themes with comedy, and even burlesque scenes, while the performances took place in temple courtyards. Its performance tradition died out in the Heian period (794–1192).
Bugaku is a traditional dance that has been performed to select elites, mostly in the Japanese imperial court, for over twelve hundred years. The dance is marked by its slow, precise and regal movements. It is still performed both in the temple context and in court festivities, such as the Emperor’s coronation ceremony.
Noh (derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent") is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. It was developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami. It is often based on tales from traditional literature with a supernatural being transformed into human form as a hero narrating a story.
Kyogen ("mad words" or "wild speech") is a form of traditional Japanese comic theatre. It developed alongside Noh and was performed along with Noh as an intermission of sorts between acts on the same stage. Its contents are nevertheless not at all similar to the formal, symbolic, and solemn Noh theatre; it is a comic form, and its primary goal is to make its audience laugh. It is thought to derive from a form of Chinese entertainment that was brought to Japan around the 8th century; it became known as sarugaku and initially encompassed both serious drama and comedy. By the 14th century, these forms of sarugaku had become known as Noh and kyōgen, respectively.
Nōgaku comprises both Noh and kyogen.