The Nogami Memorial Noh Theatre Research Institute of Hōsei University was founded in 1952, to commemorate the accomplishments of a former President of the university, Dr. NOGAMI Toyoichirō (1883–1950), known for his works on Noh theatre, such as Nō: kenkyū to hakken (Noh: research and discoveries, 1930).

The activities of the Noh Theatre Research Institute embrace both historical and present-day aspects of nōgaku, a term which refers to both Noh and Kyōgen. Born in Japan's medieval period, they represent the country's oldest theatrical forms. In addition to carrying out surveys and research on their history, the Noh Theatre Research Institute aims to throw light on the secret of their continuing popularity as living theatres in the modern world, thus contributing not only to the development of research on Noh theatre, but also to their continued growth as living performing arts.