Improved interoceptive awareness in professional performers of the traditional Japanese theatrical art “Noh”

“Noh” is a traditional Japanese theatrical art characterized by sophisticated emotional expression. Noh is performed by experts in various roles such as shite-kata (actors) and hayashi-kata (instrumentalists). Although previous studies have suggested that Noh performers acquire distinctive physical techniques, including specific breathing patterns during expression, it remains unclear whether practicing Noh also leads to psychological changes. In this study, we examined trait-level changes in interoceptive awareness that accompany the practice of Noh. In the survey, 22 professional Noh performers (10 actors, Mage = 45.60, SDage = 12.29, age range = 23, 56; 12 instrumentalists, Mage = 47.50, SDage = 10.85, age range = 25, 62; all male) and 18 controls with no Noh experience (Mage = 40.50, SDage = 6.85, age range = 31, 52; all male) completed a series of questionnaires, including psychological scales on multiple aspects of interoceptive awareness, such as beliefs about interoceptive accuracy or attention. The actors showed significantly higher scores than the controls on measures of belief in interoceptive attention. On the other hand, no significant correlations between interoceptive awareness and years of Noh experience remained after correcting for multiple comparisons. These findings provide important insights into the physical and psychological techniques of Noh performers and contributes to the elucidation of factors that alter interoceptive awareness over time.