Japanology Plus

Kyogen is a traditional form of Japanese theater. It's comedy, performed on a bare stage with imaginative movements and dialogue. When Ondrej Hybl, from the Czech Republic, first saw a performance at the age of 21, he found it so appealing that he came to Japan to study it. In a Japanophiles interview with Peter Barakan, Hybl explains why he fell in love with Kyogen, and the challenges he faced when learning it. We also meet his teacher, veteran performer Shigeyama Shime.