Tomoeda Akiyo is a shite, or principal role actor from the Kita School of Noh. Tomoeda trained under Grand Master Kita Minoru and made his stage debut in 1947. Significant Noh plays he has performed in include: Shojo-midare, Okina, Sotoba Komachiand Obasute. Tomoeda‘s first international appearance was in New York in 1964 under The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, followed by stops in Washington D.C., Boston and Chicago. Tomoeda also performed abroad in America in 1974 and 1975, Norway in 1997 and South Korea in 2001. He became holder of Important Intangible Cultural Properties for Noh theater in 1982 and was designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese Government in 2008. Tomoeda is a recipient of the 28th Ministry of Education of the Government of Japan Fine Arts New Face Award, the 45th Ministry of Education of the Government of Japan Fine Arts Award, the 16th Kanze Hisao Memorial Hosei University Noh Theater Award, the prestigious purple Ribbon Medal by Japanese Government, the Imperial Prize from The Japan Art Academy and the Pola Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Japanese Culture Award. Tomoeda will perform in two Noh performances at Japan Society on November 19 & 20. 

Part of the Image-in-Focus gallery talk series:
Select Sundays at 2 PM, through January 14, 2017. 

October 16, 2016: Javier de Frutos, choreographer of At Twilight/The Hawk's Dance
December 4, 2016: Carrie Preston, associate professor of English and director of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, Boston Univesity
Cap off your weekend at Japan Society Gallery with these energetic, 20-minute conversations with leading curators, writers, artists and specialists of Japanese art. Drop by to hear their unique perspectives on select highlights from Gallery's fall exhibition, Simon Starling: At Twilight. 
Free with admission to the exhibition. Groups are limited to 30, first-come, first-served basis.