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Paper short abstract

This paper introduces the “Simple Database for Searching Noh Lyrics” developed by the Noh Theatre Research Institute. It shows how the database supports textual analysis through current research examples and highlights its usefulness for studying links between nō and early modern literature.

Paper long abstract

This paper introduces the structure and functions of the “Simple Database for Searching Noh Lyrics,” hosted on the website of the Hosei University Noh Theatre Research Institute. It further demonstrates how this database can be applied to textual analysis and discusses its potential contributions to the study of early modern literature.

The database integrates three major textual sources: the Collection of Three Hundred and Fifty Nō Lyrics available on the online platform “Hangyo Bunko”; the Collection of Nō Songs uploaded to the website “Muhenkō”; and transcriptions of 500 songs from the Edo Period Printed Edition of Five Hundred Nō Song Books, produced by the Noh Theatre Research Institute. These materials were compiled into an Excel-based dataset, supplemented with a simple search programme that enables efficient keyword and phrase analysis.

In writing a study on representations of “impermanence” in nō, the presenter employed this database to examine the distribution of related expressions. The analysis revealed, for example, that the phrase “all phenomena are impermanent” (shogyō mujō) appears almost exclusively in scenes accompanied by the sound of a bell, and is rarely used when characters verbally reflect on impermanence. Such findings—difficult to obtain through manual reading alone—demonstrate the value of mechanical searching for uncovering patterns in nō diction.

The database also makes it possible to identify broader stylistic tendencies of individual playwrights without requiring advanced programming skills. Its accessibility is one of its greatest strengths: because it operates within Excel, it can be used easily by researchers across disciplines. Moreover, the database includes numerous plays that are seldom performed today but were widely circulated and familiar to readers in the Edo period. This makes it a valuable resource for tracing intertextual references to nō in early modern haikai poetry, classical music lyrics, and other literary genres.

By presenting concrete examples of its application, this paper highlights how a simple yet comprehensive digital tool can open new pathways for research on nō and its cultural reception.