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When Yasuhiro Wakebayashi wakes up each morning, he brushes his teeth as he completes 30 squats—diligently strengthening his core for the ancient form of Japanese dance-drama known as Noh. Then, after reading a business newspaper, he is ready to begin his day.

Classical theater and business might seem like disparate pursuits, but the entrepreneur—who works in mergers and acquisitions—comes from a family of Noh performers, and he has been practicing the performance art since the age of four. When it came time to build a home for himself, his wife, and his daughter—who all practice the art form—he knew that a Noh stage would be at the heart of the design.

“My grandfather was a Noh costume craftsman, and then my father became a performer,” says Yasuhiro. “I respect my father, who worked as a Noh performer until he passed away at 94 years old.” Subsequent descendants in Yasuhiro’s family have inherited the practice, with his older brother passing the tradition along to the family’s third and fourth generations of performers.

Engaging the firm Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP, Yasuhiro set out to build a home in the heart of Tokyo that would honor this rich heritage, and accommodate ongoing practice.

Noh is a sacred stage art based on history and mythology, and it has been performed in Japan for over 650 years. “Noh is more than an art form; it is a Shinto ritual, and it’s strongly connected to the Shinto and Buddhist beliefs that pray for the protection of life and a bountiful harvest, as well as the idea of worshiping nature,” explains principal architect and CEO Hiroshi Nakamura. “Therefore, the Noh stage is like a place of worship.”

According to Yasuhiro, there were three main priorities for the stage’s design. First, he specified a width of 5.4 square meters (just over 58 square feet) to accommodate performances. “We had a strong desire to preserve its size as much as possible in our limited space,” he says.

Next, it needed four pillars—including a corner pillar. “The corner pillar is the most important pillar to recognize as a standing point for actors,” he explains.

Finally, he wanted the stage to have a covered bridge, which acts as a passageway connecting the performance area to the backstage. “Many private Noh stages eliminate the bridge because of limited space,” Yasuhiro says.

Opposite the stage is a lush, Noh-style garden. A majestic pine tree is framed by a large window that echoes the proportions of the performance space. “Since ancient times, it is said that a god dwells in the pine, and Noh performers dance facing the pine tree,” explains Yasuhiro. “That’s why the stage must have this pine tree painting on the wall behind it, from which the pine tree in front is reflected like a mirror.”

Although Yasuhiro sometimes sets up workshops to study Noh at his home, the space is primarily used by his immediate family. “My wife and daughters practice,” he says. “We’ve enjoyed the Noh world together more after we constructed the stage at my residence.”

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP / @hiroshi_nakamura_naparchitects

Builder/General Contractor: Takenaka Corporation

Structural Engineer: Kanebako Structural Engineers

Civil Engineer: Takenaka Corporation

Landscape Design: Soro Botanical Garden Project, Solso

Lighting Design: Daiko Electric Co.

Interior Design: Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Kitchen: Kreis & Company

Sound Engineer: Ideal

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In This Tokyo Home, a Dramatic Design Feature Takes Center Stage