Also sangaku. A performing art including circus acts brought to Japan from China in the Nara period and performed at temples and shrines. In contrast to gagaku, which was performed at the court, this was entertainment for all, courtier and commoner, and included a variety of stints, such as dances, magic, conjuring tricks, and acrobatics. In the Nara period it was known as tō sangaku, but later developed into sarugaku, which became the basis for noh and kyōgen in the middle ages.