Akira Matsui is an unusual personality in the world of Noh. He was discipel of Nimoru Kita and is as Shite (main actor) member of the highly renownedKita noh school. He can be seen in the famous Noh performances on Kita Noh stage in Tokyo, the Meguru district. But Akira Matsui is not only a master performer of the subtil art of traditional Noh, but he also adapts and directs pieces of western authors. His Shakespeare and Beckett adaptations became quite famous in the States and in Australia. 1982 he came the first time to Germany on invitation of the Meta Theater, 1993 a first collaboration started. This is quite uniques for a traditional Noh actor, who performes also at Negorodera temple and at Nichizuyu Shrine.
His own works show in an impressing way, who one creates new possibilities of expression by the means of Noh, the reduction on the essnece of acting. "I try not to touch the stile of Noh, but I want to performe Noh in another form, as it was never done before, I want to confront Noh with new possibilities of expression."