[National Theater Training Institute] Applications are now being accepted for trainees for 2026!
Agency for Cultural Affairs Press release: October 1, 2025 To Members of the Press [National Theatre Training Institute] Applications are now being accepted for trainee recruitment in 2026!
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/47048/1051/47048-1051-0a2f047f7e25c4ed8d79e29998c6a7b7-3000×1979.jpg I aim to become a Kabuki actor, Japan’s most representative form of theater. The training course focuses on Kabuki-specific acting, Tachimawari (stand-up comedy), Tombo (dance performance), and Japanese dance, and also provides opportunities to learn the basics of Kabuki music such as Gidayubushi (gidayu-bushi), Nagauta (long song), and narimono (musical instruments). The curriculum is designed to build a foundation for Kabuki actors. Male candidates who have graduated from junior high school (or are expected to graduate) or are under 23 years of age. Experience is not required. Two years from April 2020 to March 2020 National Olympics Memorial Youth Center (Yoyogi-Kamizonocho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) From Wednesday, October 1, 2020 to Friday, January 30, 2020 February to March 2020 (planned) [11th Kabuki Music (Nagauta) Training Course]
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/47048/1051/47048-1051-400c386c74fb44aa72ee86abcd299b04-2453×1750.jpg Nagauta, as kabuki music, is performed in a space called the mikuranuchi (geza), and is known as kuro-misoren music. It expresses psychological descriptions and scenes through song and shamisen. In shosagoto (dance drama), it is also sometimes performed onstage along with musical instruments. In the training course, you will learn how to perform nagauta, shamisen, and kuro-misoren music, and acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for a kabuki nagauta performer. Male candidates who have graduated from junior high school (or are expected to graduate) or are under 23 years of age. Experience is not required. Three years from April 2020 to March 2021 National Olympics Memorial Youth Center (Yoyogi-Kamizonocho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) From Wednesday, October 1, 2020 to Friday, January 30, 2020 February to March 2020 (planned) [13th Nohgaku (Three Roles) Training]
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/47048/1051/47048-1051-4505ab081d670420f8fefacd4e03010b-3888×2592.jpg “Nohgaku” is a collective term combining “Noh” and “Kyogen.” Since its perfection by Kan’ami and Zeami during the Muromachi period, the art has been passed down for over 650 years. We provide training for three Noh roles (the three Noh roles): the supporting actor, who plays the partner role of the leading actor (shite), the hayashi actor, who plays the Noh musical accompaniment, and the kyogen actor, who performs the kyogen. Training consists of a basic training course to learn the fundamentals of Noh, and a more practical specialized training course. After passing an aptitude test in the first year, students are divided into specialized roles to master the art. Must be a junior high school graduate (or those expected to graduate) or older, and generally under the age of 23. Experience is not required. 6 years from April 2020 to March 2020 (3 years of basic training course, 3 years of specialized training course) National Noh Theatre (Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) From Wednesday, October 1, 2020 to Friday, January 30, 2020 February to March 2020 (planned) [35th Bunraku Training]
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/47048/1051/47048-1051-4d03ed26186f2511fe605ef34cd47b14-3900×2867.jpg Bunraku puppet theater is a comprehensive art form in which the narrator, shamisen player, and puppeteer work together to create a single stage performance. Originating in Osaka in the early Edo period, Bunraku has continued to express human emotions on stage throughout the ages. During the training course, all trainees first learn the basics of tayu, shamisen, and puppetry to deepen their understanding of Bunraku. After an aptitude screening, they are divided into majors. Tayu trainees learn the unique vocal techniques and expression methods of Gidayubushi, shamisen trainees learn basic playing techniques and emotional expression through tone, and puppeteers learn how to use the feet, the starting point for puppeteers. Male candidates who have graduated from junior high school (or are expected to graduate) or are under 23 years of age. Experience is not required. Two years from April 2020 to March 2020 National Bunraku Theatre (Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture) *Training will take place in Tokyo during Bunraku Tokyo performances. From Wednesday, October 1, 2020 to Friday, January 16, 2020 Late January 2020 (planned) 【How to Apply】 Please submit items 1 through 6 below in person or by mail by the deadline (must arrive by the deadline). 1. Application Form (prescribed form, signed by the applicant) 2. Resume (prescribed form, signed by the applicant, with a photo taken within the last three months attached) 3. Agreement Form (prescribed form, signed by the guarantor) 4. Residence certificate (issued within the last three months) 5. Health certificate (issued within the last three months. Paper used by medical institutions, public health centers, etc. is acceptable.) 6. Two photographs (4cm x 3cm. Taken within the last three months and the same as those attached to your resume) *The application form and application details can be found at the URL below.
https://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/training/trainee.html 【Application submission and inquiries】 ・Kabuki actor training, Kabuki music (Nagauta) training National Theater Training Institute, Kabuki and Popular Performing Arts Training Division 3-1 Yoyogi-Kamizonocho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0052 National Olympics Memorial Youth Center, Culture Building, 3rd floor TEL: 03-3265-7105 (direct) *10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays MAIL:
kokuritsu-boshu@ntj.jac.go.jp ・Nohgaku (Three Roles) Training National Theater Training Institute, Nohgaku Training Division 〒151-0051 National Noh Theatre, 1-18-4 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3423-1483 (direct) *10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays Email: nohgaku3yaku@ntj.jac.go.jp …
style=”font-size:16px;line-height:28px;padding:0;word-break:break-all;”> ・Bunraku Training National Theater Training Institute, Bunraku Training Department 〒542-0073 Inside the National Bunraku Theater, 1-12-10 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka TEL: 06-6212-5529 (direct) *10:00 to 18:00, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays MAIL: bunraku2021@ntj.jac.go.jp Features of the National Theater Training Institute ・Course fee is free Course fees are free for training at the National Theatre Training Institute. The National Theatre Training Institute will provide all textbooks, instruments, and props necessary for the training. ・First-class instructors active in a wide range of stage genres The instructors at the National Theatre Training School are top-tier performers active in a wide range of stage genres. They will use their extensive knowledge and stage experience to thoroughly teach you the fundamentals of performing. ・Abundant off-campus training, backstage and stage practice to hone professional attitudes, and training presentations to showcase the results of training In addition to standard training, students will hone their professional performance skills through a variety of opportunities, including visits to performances sponsored by the Japan Arts Council and other theaters, such as the Kabukiza Theater, external training at locations associated with the plays, backstage training where they learn etiquette and manners in the dressing room during performances, and stage training where they perform on actual stages. Students will also participate in a “Training Presentation” where they can showcase the results of their daily training in front of an audience. Furthermore, in the final year of each course, a “Training Completion Presentation” will be held as a culmination of the training. Through these various training and practical experiences, students will advance into the professional world. ・Traditional Performing Arts Preservation Incentive Loan Program Trainees are required to repay the grant, but are exempt from repayment if they work as a professional performer for a certain period of time after completing their training.
・Accommodation and housing subsidies Trainees from remote locations can live in accommodation (fees apply, screening required). If there are no vacant rooms, housing subsidies will be provided. About the National Theater Training Institute The Japan Arts Council, an independent administrative institution, began offering training for Kabuki actors in 1970. Since then, the council has offered training in Bunraku, Kabuki music (takemoto, narimono, and nagauta), popular performing arts (yose-hayashi and daikagura), and Noh (three roles), producing many performers of traditional performing arts. In 2023, the National Theater Traditional Performing Arts Training Institute was established to oversee the training programs previously conducted at the National Theater and National Engei Hall in Hanzomon, the National Noh Theatre in Sendagaya, and the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka. To ensure a stable supply of traditional performing arts successors, the institute has been steadily enhancing its programs, including promoting Japan’s traditional performing arts, publicizing the training program, and creating an environment where trainees and graduates can work with peace of mind. In 2025, the institute was renamed the National Theater Training Institute. *After the National Theater closed for renovations, the training programs run by the National Theater and National Engei Basho Management Organization continued at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in
Yoyogi-Kamizonocho, Shibuya Ward. ☆For more information, please visit the National Theater Training Institute website.
https://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/training.html ☆We have launched a YouTube channel. You can watch introductions to each training program here. https://www.youtube.com/@kokuritsu_yoseich Press release attachments