In late September, the Kanze Noh Theater, led by Kiyokazu Kanze, the 26th Grand Master of the Kanze School, captivated more than 6,000 audience members during its European tour, with performances in Berlin, Munich, Brussels, and Cologne.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Berliner Festspiele, a special performance took place as part of Musikfest Berlin, thrilling a sold-out audience and receiving coverage in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

An educational program co-organized with the Berlin Philharmonic welcomed around 600 students from 23 schools across Berlin. The students explored the fascinating world of Noh theater, a traditional Japanese performing art with a history spanning approximately 700 years. They learned about Noh masks, musical instruments, and the performers' distinctive movements—and even had the unique opportunity to chant together in Japanese!

Another highlight was the performance in Brussels, which was honored by the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, making it a special celebration of 160 years of friendship between Japan and Belgium.

The Japanese-German Center Berlin is deeply honored to have played a vital role in bringing this European tour to life and to have contributed to a new chapter in cultural exchange between Japan and Europe.

Our heartfelt thanks go to all audience members, performers, partners, and supporters whose dedication made this unforgettable tour possible!

Photos 1-4: © Berliner Festspiele, Photo: Fabian Schellhorn (Berliner Festspiele & Berliner Philharmoniker)
Photo 5: © BR musicaviva, Photo: Astrid Ackermann (BR - Bayerischer Rundfunk)
Photos 6-8: © yannick SAS (Bozar)
Photo 9: © Jörn Neumann (Kölner Philharmonie)