This work is a translation by author Dr. Erika de Poorter of the important Sarugaku dangi ('Talks on Sarugaku'), a collection of comments by the actor, playwright and critic Zeami (1363-1443) as recorded by his son Motoyoshi. Sarugaku is the original term for Nō, the classical Japanese theatre of which Zeami is the founding father. The Sarugaku dangi is generally considered as belonging to Zeami's transmitted writings (densho), but more specifically it forms part of his treatises on Nō (Nōgakuron). In addition to two letters and a number of Nō plays,...