Arts

• Songkran - is the official Thai New Year and lasts for 2 to 3 days.
• Phi Ta Khon - it is better knows as ghost festival since it reflects the beliefs on ghosts and spirits of the Loei Province. It is Thailands most colorful festival.
• Monkey buffet - This is celebrated in the town of Lopburi showing appreciation to their main attraction, monkeys.
• Loi Krathong - this festival is celebrated by thousands of people who go to their local river or canal to make a wish.
• Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival - this festival is held at the start of the Buddhist lenten period. Artists create large wax figures.
• Yi Peng - Large lanterns made of tracing paper are attached to bamboo hoops and inflated by hot air. These lanterns are released in the sky rather than water to pay homage to Buddha.
• Sapporo Snow Festival - large snow and ice sculptures are built in Odori Park.
• Yakote Kamakura Festival - The mid-winter festival is when an igloo-like snow houses are made throughout the town. It is held in the days leading to the Bonden Festival (mid-February).
• Omizutori - The most spectacular among its many ceremonies is the nightly burning of torches on the balcony of the wooden temple hall.
• Takayama Matsuri - large and elaborately decorated floats are pulled through the old town of Takayama.
• Aoi Matsuri - happens in autumn. This festival's main attraction is the large parade of people dressed in aristocratic style of the Heian Period.
• Jidai Matsuri - This is a spectacular parade which covers over 1000 years during which Kyoto served as Japan's capital.
• The Kodo Taiko Drum Festival - This festival takes place every summer in the southeastern section of Sado. The Kodo Taiko group, formed 25 years ago, is responsible fo the incessant pounding of countless booming taiko drums.
• Kabuki - is a traditional Japanese form of theatre with roots tracing back to the Edo Period.
• Hanamichi - leads through the audience allowing for a dramatic entrance or exit.
• Ambiance is achieved with live music performed by traditional instruments.
• Kabuki is truly a theatrical spectacle, combining form, color, and sound.
• Jidaimono - were set within the context of major events in Japanese history and focused on the samurai class.
• Sewamono - focused primarily on commoners like the townspeople and peasants.
• Kesho - utilizes kabuki make-up to provide an element of style easily recognizable even by those unfamiliar with the art form.
• Rice powder - used to create the white oshiroi base for the characteristic stage make-up that kumadori enhances.
• Red lines - indicates passion, heroism, and righteousness, and other POSITIVE traits.
• Blue or black indicates villainy, jealousy, and other NEGATIVE traits.
• Green is used for supernatural traits.
• Purple indicates nobility.
• Noh is the oldest existing form of theatre involving music, dance, and drama, originating in the 14th century.
• Kyogen - comical pieces performed during interludes of the main Noh performance.
• The dual art of Noh and Kyogen is known as Nogaku.
• Noh theatre is structured around song and dance. Movement is slow, language is poetic, tone is monotonous, and costumes are rich and heavy.
• Plots are usually drawn from the legend, history, literature, and contemporary events.
• Themes often relate to dreams, supernatural world, ghosts, and spirits
• Noh is performed on a square stage called butai. With a roof supported by four pillars.
• All performers in Noh are male.
• Shite - lead character. He may act as a holy man, deity, a demon, a spirit, or a living man.
• Waki - supporting actor. Plays roles such as priest, monk, or samurai.
• The waki always portrays living people.
• Hayashi - musicians.

  Four musicians:

  • Flute
  • Shoulder drum
  • Hip drum
  • Stick drum
• Jiutai - The chorus. Sits to the left of the stage and assists the shite in narrating the story. Consists of six or eight people.
• Koken - Stage attendants. Dressed in black, they are not part of the play but assist performers in various ways such as handling props.
• Shite wears masks that tell the audience what kind of character is being portrayed.