Like the slow, elegant steps of a crane and the silence of a leopard, Japanese Mai dances use careful steps and solemn gestures. This type of dance is used in Japanese Noh plays from the 14th century. Japanese Noh plays take inspiration from their ancient deities such as Susano-o in the play The Legend of Yamata-no-Orochi and focus on elaborate costumes. Japanese Noh may come from Chinese Nuo rites (Tian 343). “The Chinese nuo rite had long been practiced in Japanese temples, shrines, and fields where no was born and developed” (Tian 343). Chinese nuo was originally an exorcist's ritual intended to drive away evil spirits (Tian 344). “The early practice of tsuina rites in Japanese royal courts and among the common people and its later integration with sanyue (sarugaku) ​​and their reciprocal assimilation and transformation, which occurred in Japanese Buddhist rites (the sushoe and shunigatsue ), contributed to the formulation of noh. ritual and religious character and performance structure. (Tian 356) “The game of Noh owes its present form to two men, Kuomami Kivotsuga and his son Seami Motokiyo” (Waley 211) The period of the 14th century in Japan was called the Muromachi period. (Tian 351) The Muromachi period of Japan takes its name from the Muromachi region of Kyoto. ("Muromachi") "The beginning of the Muromachi period is marked when Ashika Takuji ended the Kemmu restoration and the end of the Muromachi period is marked by the expulsion of the fifteenth Ashikaga shogun, Yoshiaki, and from Kyoto by Oda Nobunaga. » (“Muromachi”) The Muromachi period is also known as the Ashikaga period. ("Muromachi") "The Muromachi period was a period of political instability and war, it was at the same time a period of economic and commercial growth...... middle of paper ...... and the attempts to control recurring flooding. (Caption) “The sword Kusanagi-no-tsurugi (The Great Sword of Kusanagai) found in the serpent's tail became one of the three great imperial treasures of Japan” (Caption) The people of 14th century Japan wished to be in harmony with the living world and spiritual world. This is evident in Japan's Noh plays, such as the ancient deity Susano-o in The Legend of Yamata-no-Orochi. With the slow, careful movements of a newborn deer and the graceful serenity of a snake, Japanese Mai dances use vigilant steps and intense movements. Legendary beasts and ancient deities from Japan's past are still used in current television shows such as Naruto. The characters and abilities in this show are also characters used in Japanese Noh plays, which shows how great and popular ancient Japanese stories are today..