Sometimes referred to as Noh Theatre, it is a traditional Japanese dance drama originating in the 14thC and formalised as an official ceremonial art in the Tokugawa period (1603-1867). In No theatre, male dancers respond to a poetic text that is sung to the accompaniment of three drums and a flute.
No costumes–atsuita kimonos–are heavy and stiff, well-suited to the slow performance. They are woven and decorated with emphatic designs, layering weaves and prints: hexagons, flowers, clouds, cresting waves, dragons, fish scales, orange blossom, lotus, etc.