Among the most classic Japanese Nō dramas, there is none other than Izutsu, or “The Well-Cradle” as it is often translated in English. Written by Zeami, perhaps the most influential playwright in Noh theater, Izutsu was composed near the end of the 14th century, during Japan's Muromachi period. Compared to other Noh plays, it is relatively simple in nature as there are only three roles to play – shite, waki and ai – and the story is very characteristic of typical Noh drama (Araki and Brazell, 143). . Because a woman assumes the role of shit, Izutsu is classified as a third category play or katsura-mono (wig play), and as the play deals with supernatural events, or in the play's case, The remaining spirit of a woman, she is also considered a nō mugen (fantasy) (Tyler, 124). Through careful analysis of Izutsu, one can not only observe its fascinating history, but also learn about its structure, aesthetic themes, and associations with the Buddhist religion that easily make this play one of the greatest dramas Nō of all times.The jo (introduction) begins on an autumn day with a traveling monk (waki) stopping in front of the remains of the Ariwara temple in Isokonami. Realizing that this place was where Arihara no Narihira and his wife, the daughter of Ki no Aritsune, once lived according to legend, he offers a prayer on their behalf to comfort their souls. The scene then moves to the next part, ha (exposition), as a beautiful village girl (maeshite) sings about her loneliness and her desire for a certain man. The monk then notices the woman fetching water from a well to make an offering at a burial mound which later turns out to be Narihira's tomb. Oddly enough, he asks who she is and what connections she has... middle of paper ... that will be remembered for centuries to come. Works Cited Brarazell, Karen and James T. Araki. Traditional Japanese Theater: An Anthology of Plays. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Haruo, Nishino. “An Introduction to Noh: Enjoying the Game Izutsu.” Speech. Hosei University. April 12, 2011. Sasayama, Takashi, James Ronald Mulryne and Margaret Shewring. Shakespeare and the Japanese stage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Thornton, Peter. “Monomaniac, Yūgen and gender in Izutsu and Sotoba Komachi. » AsianTheatre Journal 20.2 (2003): 218-225. MUSE project. January 21, 2011. .Tyler, Royall. ed. and trans. Japanese Noh dramas. London, Penguin Books, 1992. Yasuda, Kenneth K. “A Prototypical Nō Wig Game: Izutsu.” Harvard Journal of Asian Studies 40.2 (1980): 399-464. April 12. 2011. .