Classical
Nihon Buyo · Tokyo · Since the Edo Period
Four Centuries,
Twenty Minutes
日本舞踊 — NIHON BUYO
Four hundred years of Japanese classical dance, taken outside the theatre — into hotel banquet halls, restaurants and open air. Introduced in English, and built for people who have never seen it before.
400
years of Nihon Buyo
2015
founded in Ginza, Tokyo
20+
artists on our roster
20 min
minimum programme
Choose by experience
Three Ways In
Watch. Learn. Host.
Start from what you want to do, not from which school of dance it belongs to.
01
Witness a Performance
観る — 公演・上演
Four centuries of Nihon Buyo, in as little as 20 minutes. We perform in theatres, hotel banquet halls, restaurants and outdoors — with English introductions to every piece.
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02
Learn Hands-On
習う — 体験・ワークショップ
How to hold a fan, how to move in hakama, how to turn a tea bowl. Small-group workshops where a professional guides you through the movements yourself.
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03
Host Us at Your Venue
招く — イベント出演・派遣
Hotels, restaurants, receptions, anniversaries, schools. We build the cast and the programme around your venue, your running time and your guests.
Read moreNo experience required
You Don't Need to Know Anything Yet
We lower the threshold, not the art.
English throughout
Every piece is introduced in English — the story, what to look for, what the gestures mean. Our artistic director, Naoyuri Wakayagi, handles this himself.
No prior knowledge needed
You do not need to have seen kabuki or noh before. We start from "what to look at", so first-time audiences get the most out of it.
Come as you are
There is no dress code and no need to wear kimono. Chairs are available if sitting on the floor is difficult.
From 20 minutes
From a 20-minute slot inside a reception to a 60-minute standalone programme, built around your running order. Ten minutes is the shortest we can work with, if that is all you have.
Performance archive
See It First
The contrast between stillness and motion carries across four centuries. Watch before you decide.
Showcase
DEN Tokyo — "The Leading Edge of Tradition" (23 Nov 2023)
Contemporary
Contemporary Nihon Buyo — Tachi Daimajin / Heike Zansho / Furinkazan
About us
Carrying It Forward
Japan's living tradition, carried outward.
DEN Tokyo presents Nihon Buyo — Japanese classical dance with roughly four hundred years of history — together with tea ceremony, calligraphy, ikebana and traditional music, to audiences in Japan and abroad. Founded in Ginza, Tokyo, in 2015.
A performing art that lives in the body is almost impossible to reconstruct once the line of transmission breaks. That is why we refuse to keep it inside the theatre: we take it to banquet halls, school gymnasiums, and stages overseas.
Artists
The People Who Perform
Heads of dance schools, graduates of the Tokyo University of the Arts, fight directors from Toei studios. Over twenty performers on our roster.
Nihon Buyo — Artistic Director
Naoyuri Wakayagi
若柳 尚雄里
Nihon Buyo — Assistant to the Director
Marin Wakayagi
若柳 真鈴
Nihon Buyo — Mushin, General Manager
Keijiro Wakayagi
若柳 慶次郎
Nihon Buyo — Mushin, Deputy Manager
Yoshiyuki Katsumi
勝見 嘉之
FAQ
Before You Ask
Frequently asked questions
No. Our programmes are designed for audiences who have never seen kabuki or noh. Before each piece we give a short introduction — the story, what to watch for, and what the gestures mean — so that first-time viewers can follow it as it happens.
Yes. Our artistic director, Naoyuri Wakayagi, introduces the pieces in English himself. Several of our artists have also performed and taught at Japan Expo in France, HyperJapan in the UK, and in Belgium, Taiwan, Korea, Germany, India and the United States, and lead workshops in English.
There is no dress code and no need to wear kimono — everyday clothes are fine. If sitting on the floor is difficult, chairs can be provided; please let us know when you book.
Between 20 and 60 minutes as a guide. We can build a 20-minute slot to sit inside a reception, or a 40–60 minute standalone programme, and we set the running order around your schedule. If time is tight, ten minutes is the shortest programme we can put together — please ask.
In theatres, and also in hotel and ryokan lobbies and banquet halls, event halls, restaurants, outdoor stages, schools and care homes. A stage is not required — we can perform anywhere with a suitable floor and ceiling height.
Our tea ceremony programme starts from ¥50,000, the DEN Iki dance programme from ¥50,000, and the flagship DEN Tokyo programme — full white makeup, authentic costume and wig — from ¥300,000. The final figure depends on the number of performers, running time, venue and travel, so we quote each booking individually.
Contact
Start with the venue
and the time slot.
You do not need to have chosen a programme. Tell us the size of the room, how long you can give us, and who will be watching — we will propose the rest.