Sarugaku
/ˌsɑːrʊˈɡɑːkuː/noun
A medieval Japanese form of popular entertainment involving acrobatics, comic performance, music, and later dramatic elements that helped develop Noh.
Did you know?Sarugaku likely developed from sangaku, imported entertainment from Tang China; its later association with the Japanese word for “monkey” may have reshaped its name through popular reinterpretation.
Etymological Timeline
7th–8th Century
Middle Chinese
散樂 (sǎnyuè)
“Miscellaneous entertainment, including acrobatics, juggling, music, and theatrical spectacle”
Nara Period
Japanese
散楽 (sangaku)
“Imported performing arts and popular amusements practiced in Japan”
Heian Period
Japanese
散楽 (sangaku)
“A broad category of comic, acrobatic, musical, and sometimes satirical performance”
Late Heian–Kamakura Periods
Japanese
猿楽 (sarugaku)
“A reinterpreted form of the name, literally associated with “monkey” and “entertainment”; the genre increasingly included dramatic performance”
14th–15th Century
Japanese
猿楽 (sarugaku)
“A major theatrical tradition whose performers and techniques contributed to the emergence of Noh”
Modern English
English
sarugaku
“A historical Japanese performance tradition and an important precursor to Noh theater”