also: けんしょ
audience seating (noh theater)
Refers specifically to the seating area for the audience in a noh theater, distinct from the stage.
Used for the audience itself, especially in the context of noh performances. Can be extended to other traditional performing arts.
I sat in the audience seating and watched the noh performance.
The audience seating in a noh theater is arranged to surround the stage on three sides.
The performer appeared as the audience fell completely silent.
The masterful performance thrilled the audience.
客席 is the ordinary word for audience seating in any theater or hall, whereas 見所 is the traditional term used specifically for the seating area in noh theaters.
Written identically as 見所, みどころ means 'a highlight or noteworthy point' (e.g. of a film or a person's potential), while けんじょ/けんしょ refers to noh theater audience seating or the audience itself.
Standard kanji spelling for the noh term; reading けんじょ is the primary pronunciation.
Alternate reading; less common but still encountered in noh contexts.
Compound of 見 (mi, 'seeing') and 所 (sho, 'place'), literally 'viewing place'. The reading けんじょ is a Sino-Japanese reading of the characters, used specifically in the context of noh theater.