Kiyotaka IMAI (Nohgakushi [Noh actor]) (今井清隆 (能楽師))
Kiyotaka IMAI (September 1943-) is a Nohgakushi, who belongs to The Association for Japanese Noh Plays (national designated Important Intangible Cultural Property) and lives in Kyoto City. He is administrative director of Kongo-kai (party).
Career
He was born in September 1943 in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City as the sixth generation eldest son of Ikusaburo IMAI, the fifth generation of the Imai occupational branch family, the Kongo school of Noh that goes back to the Edo period. He studied under Ikusaburo, his father and Iwao KONGO familyhead. He made his debut on the stage of Kurama Tengu (Tengu of Mt. Kurama) as Kokata (child's role in Noh dance) at the age of six.
He graduated from Doshisha University in 1967. He has established a reputation for his delicate style of performance, more especially, the programs of Women's story of third-category plays which is the essence of Noh play. In addition, he is a Noh actor who shows real ability in realistic Noh called Mai-Kongo which is the feature of the Kongo school. He has already performed the major Noh plays including Noh 'Stone bridge,' 'Ran, 'Mochizuki' (The Full Moon), 'Dojo-ji Temple,' 'Uchito mode' (The Pilgrimage), 'Okina' (an old man), 'Sotoba Komachi' (Komachi at the Gravepost), 'Higaki' (Cypress fence) and 'Ubasute' (Abandoning an Old Woman). He has given many overseas performances including the dedication of Noh plays to Pope in 1984, plays at the occasion of Sakura (cherry blossom) Festival in Washington, D.C., at Sydney Opera House, in Paris and Jerusalem. In 1986, he was designated as the general Important Intangible Cultural Property. In 1998, he received Kyoto prefecture Cultural Contribution Award. In 2004, he received Excellence Award of Arts Festival by Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs. From 1984, he has held regularly-scheduled 'Noh performance of Imai's support group' in Kyoto. From 1999, he has held regularly-scheduled 'Kiyotaka IMAI's Noh play party' at National Noh Theatre in Tokyo. He has his eldest son, Katsunori IMAI, the seventh generation as his successor.