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Japanese Buddhist Chant Performance
Tiara Koto(Large Hall)
Nyoirin-Kōshiki ーBy Tendai Shomyo (Japanese Buddhist Chant) and Kangen (Gagaku Instrumental Music)ー
Performance Date
October 25(Sat.), 2025
Performance Time
2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
* The finish time is an estimate and may vary.
Commentary: About Nyoirin-Kōshiki
SHIBA Kayono (Professor, Chiba University)
Nyoirin-Kōshiki
Tendai shōmyō Shichiseikai
Reigakusha Gagaku Ensemble
*Audio guide : Not available.
*English brochure is available.
Tickets(Tax included)
[1st Grade] Adluts: 7,000 yen (Students: 4,900 yen)
[2nd Grade] Adluts: 6,000 yen (Students: 4,200 yen)
Seating plan
Booking Opens
10:00 a.m., August 18 (Mon.), 2025
*Tickets for students and persons with disabilities for this performance are available online.
*Wheelchair spaces are available. For more details, please contact the Box Office.
*20% discount for audience with disabilities and one accompanying audience.
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Box Office
0570-07-9900 (From overseas: +81-3-3230-3000) in Japanese and English (10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.)
Click here to find the details about how to buy tickets.
Timeless sound of prayer - A Revival -
Shomyo is a vocal music chanted in Buddhist ceremonies. Since its opening, the National Theatre has highlighted the rich musicality of Shomyo, showcasing a variety of pieces. This time, we will focus on a specific work known as "Kōshiki." Written in Japanese, Kōshiki developed from the 10th century onward to disseminate Buddhist teachings and the virtues of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. It is believed to have significantly influenced later storytelling music forms, such as Heike Biwa and Jōruri.
The performance, "Nyoirin-Kōshiki," was created by Chōken (1126-1203), a high priest who was active in the second half of the 12th century. Chōken was a Tendai Buddhist priest noted for his oratory skills and recognized as a storyteller who could captivate his audience. According to tradition, Chōken created this piece after retreating to Shoshazan in Harima region for 14 days, in response to a request from the mother of Fujiwara no Hidehira, the third lord of the Ōshū Fujiwara clan.
This piece was lost for many years, but it has been reevaluated due to its remarkable style, which features intricate couplets and rhetoric. A restoration ceremony was held at Kanzan Chūsonji Temple in 2016 and at Shoshazan Engyōji Temple in 2024. This time, a new interpretation will be introduced: the piece will be performed alongside Gagaku music in a format known as "Kangenkō."
We invite you to fully enjoy the new interpretation of "Nyoirin-Kōshiki," enhanced by the elegant chanting of the Tendai shōmyō Shichiseikai and the orchestral music of Reigakusha Gagaku Ensemble.