Shigenobu Uchida
shitekata (leading actor) belonging to the Kita school
 
Career: member of the Jofu-kai, member of the Nohgaku Performers’ Association, holder of the important intangible cultural property, member of Japan Nohgaku Association, organizer of the Seishin-kai, organizer of the Hiiragi-kai and organizer of the Aoba-no-kai.
 
Personal history: Uchida was born in Kamakura, 1968. He studied noh under Minoru Kita and Akio Shiotsu. His first stage was Oimatsu at the age of 4. He has performed the leading actor at the following plays, Kagetsu, Shohjoh-midare, Dohjohji, Ishibashi, Okina, Mochizuki and etc. He has taken part in many overseas performances in the US, France, Germany, Vietnam, Hongkong, the UK, Ireland and etc.
 
Favorite things: rock music from the 80’s, drinking, Edo-style sushi, hot spring tour and overseas performances in which he looks forward to the local cuisine, bars and meeting people.

Tsunao Yamai
 shitekata (leading actor) belonging to the Konparu school　Official H P
 
 
Career: holder of the important intangible cultural property, executive member of the Nohgaku Performers’ Association and executive member of the Konparu-enman-i-kai.
 
Personal history: Yamai was born in Yokohoama, 1973. He made a debut at the age of 5 and performed the leading actor first at the age of 12. During the NHK period drama series of GO (2011) and Sanadamaru (2016), he was in charge of acting coach and production advisor for the noh scenes. He also appeared as a role of noh actor in the dramas. He was assigned to serve as a Japan Cultural Envoy in 2014 and has dedicated himself to enlighten “the fundamental spirits of Japan” which has been in danger of vanishing.

Kiyomi Muraoka
shitekata (leading actoress) belonging to the Konparu school　FB
 
Career: executive member of the Konparu-enman-i-kai, member of the Nohgaku Performers’ Association and member of the Miito-no-kai.
 
Personal history: After graduating from the Kokugakuin University, Muraoka entered the Konparu school in 2002. She has studied noh under Yasuaki Konparu and Tsunao Yamai. She performed the leading actress first at the play Hagoromo in 2005, and became a member of the Nohgaku Performers’ Association in 2011. She has performed the leading actress at Midare and Ishibashi.
 
Favorite things: SFX movies (especially, Godzilla!) and fishing. I have visited Vancouver several times for my noh performance. Someday I hope to try salmon fishing there.

Sotaro Waku
shitekata (leading actor) belonging to the Hosho school　Official H P
 
Career: holder of the important intangible cultural property, organizer of the Yuho-kai.
 
Personal history: Waku was born in Yokohama, 1974, and grew up in Nagoya. After graduating from the Department of Traditional Japanese Music in the Music Faculty of the Tokyo University of the Arts. While in the university, he became a disciple of Hideo Hosho who was the 18th soke (the grand master). He performed the leading actor first at the play Kokaji in 2004. He became independent by permission of Hideharu Hosho who was the 19th soke.
He has performed the leading actor at the following plays, Ishibashi, Dohjohji and Midare, and has participated in many overseas performances such as in Argentina, China, Egypt, Italy, Vatican and etc. He has held his recital titled “Sotaro Waku’s Enno-kukan” and has dedicated himself to familiarize noh around the country by providing regularly scheduled performances, Takigi-noh plays (noh plays performed outside with light supplied by bonfires at night) and so on.
 
A few words from Waku: For the modern people, noh is not an art easily understood. You will  recognize the esprit or humor of the performing art after experiencing it repeatedly. Please come to see noh at theaters many times! Also, you can feel directly the essence if you try noh lessons (utai and shimai).  While an intelligible style is often performed recently, I recommend you to portray the classic and esoteric noh as the original is. You will perceive something enigmatic inherent in only noh.

Ryuichi Onodera
fuekata (flute player) belonging to the Isso school
 
 
Personal history: Onodera was born in Sendai, 1974. He studied under Yoji Isso and Takayuki Isso. He made a debut at the mai-bayashi stage “Shichikiochi” in 2000 and performed at Okina in 2006, Dohjohji in 2011 and Ishibashi in 2015. He has taken part in overseas performances in Germany, Italy, Vatican, Hongkong and Swiss.
 
Favorite things: wine. A few words from Onodera “My recent favorite is Italian wine while I have liked mainly French, Germany and Austrian ones. Of course, I drink domestic wine, too.”

Takashi Mori
kotsuzumikata belonging to the Ko shcool
 
 
Personal history: Mori was born in 1975. He studied under Akihiro Sumikoma and Syunichi Kamei. He has engaged in familiarizing kotsuzumi by organizing various lessons around the country, mainly in the National Noh Theatre.
 
 
 

Eitaro Okura
otsuzumikata belonging to the Ohkura school
 
 
Personal history: Okura was born in 1976. He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts and studied under his father, Mitsutada Okura, the 16th head of the Okura Shichizaemon family, and Tatsuo Yasufuku, the National Living Treasure, who belonged to the Takayasu school.
 
Favorite things: eel cuisine and the National High School Baseball Tournament are irreplaceable treasures for his life.

Noriyoshi Ohkawa
taikokata belonging to the Konparu school
 
 
Personal history: Ohkawa was born in 1973 and lives in Chiba. He knew the fun of Japanese musical instruments through a local festival and lately met with nohgaku while in university. After the 6-year training course for san-yaku held at the National Nohgaku Theatre, he has appeared on many stages such as Mochizuki, Shohjoh-midare, Dohjohji and etc.
 
A few words from Ohkawa: “I have participated in many overseas concerts as a taiko player. Each venue where I performed was the best theatre and a mecca for performers in the country. As I felt truly humbled to play at those big stages, my will to be a worthy performer for those theaters has grown stronger. These overseas experiences are valuable assets for my life.