The fax came from Rome. It said: "Your name has been forwarded to us by Richard Geoffroy of Dom Perignon and Clair Panzer, director of the film shot at Epernay. . . . We are keen to invite M. Shonosuke Okura to perform in our upcoming event." It was signed by Marisa Marcella of Prime Time Promotions, official organizers of the Vatican Christmas Concert.
Shonosuke Okura is the 16th generation in a long line of noh performers. As a boy, he studied the kotsuzumi (small drum) under his father. He made his first stage appearance with the shoulder-held drum at the age of 8.
At 17, Okura changed to the otsuzumi (large drum) which is held on the thigh. Since then, Okura has performed in traditional noh for more than two decades and has been designated an intangible cultural asset by the Japanese government.