Audience Seating (kensyo)
Audience seating for the Noh stage is called kensyo in Japanese.
The seating is set up to surround the stage from three directions.
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Side Stage Seating
You can view the stage from the side. Seating is set up along hashigakari which looks like a long corridor that actors use to enter the stage.
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Middle Stage Seating
The seating spreads fan-like from the extended line of the front left pillar of the stage. This pillar is called metsuke-bashira, or “sighting pillar”. In Noh plays, actors have limited eyesight since they wear masks for most plays. Metsuke-bashira plays an important role in orienting the actors on the stage.
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Front Stage Seating
You can view the stage from the front. Historically, shogun and feudal lords watched performances from this direction. It is a conventional seating.
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You can view the full stage from the second floor. Only few Noh theaters have seating on the second floor. It is so rare that it’s worth to give it a try!