Learn about traditional Japanese masks and their uses

Traditional Japanese masks (お面) are mostly decorative and can be found most easily at festivals and shrine events. Other masks are worn during certain Shinto dances or by Noh theater actors who wear them when performing a role on stage. Most of these masks are archetypes taken from myths, ancient dances and some that have become the most popular Japanese masks and that we will see next!

Oni 鬼面

These are demons that are usually depicted as red-faced and angry with long, sharp teeth, although these creatures are not the scariest monsters in Japan. Oni masks are most common during the Bean Throwing Festival, known as Setsubun . People use them for the representations of this festival in the shrines and parents even use them at home to scare their children (following the tradition in the representation) while the children throw beans to scare away the oni and invite good luck. lucky to get home during the year.

Tengu 天狗面

The tengu are the fearsome demigods who protect the mountains. These demon-like creatures are also depicted with red faces and angry expressions. Although his most spatial feature is a long red nose. In the past, tengu were more bird-like but upon becoming human, the beak turned into a nose that kept its long shape. Tengu masks are used for Noh plays and certain Shinto festivals. They are also often used as decoration, as tengu are believed to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck.

Kitsune きつね面

Participants in certain Shinto festivals, or sometimes attendees as well, wear kitsune masks or fox masks just for fun. Historically, foxes ( kitsune is Japanese for fox ) were seen as magical creatures with the ability to change shape. They were also seen as messengers of Inari , the Shinto god of rice and commerce and prosperity, making them important figures in some festivities involving this deity.

Hyottoko ひょっとこ面

This mask represents a childish figure with a comical expression on his face. His mouth is almost always rounded and crooked to one side, as stories about him usually involve him blowing on a bamboo pipe. In some traditional Japanese dances during festivals, dancers perform the role of the clown while wearing hyottoko masks.

Okame 能面 (Otafuku)

Okame is like the female version of Hyottoko , and their masks often appear together. Dancers can use them to perform fun and comical dance steps. Like its male counterpart Okame , meaning “turtle”, it is a positive figure and is sometimes thought to bring good luck for a long life. Depicted as the face of a woman with a large, oval-shaped head and smiling eyes, she is also known as Otafuku , which literally means “much good fortune.”

Hannya 般若面

This is one of the most visually impressive Japanese masks and perhaps the most terrifying. With horns, bulging eyes and sharp fangs, this mask is a representation of a female demon, and has also come to represent the face of a jealous woman, or a scorned woman. When Japanese women get married, they traditionally wear a huge white headdress that is said “to hide the horns of jealousy.”

While the Okame mask is a representation of a charming and always cheerful Japanese woman, the Hannya represents her darker side. This is a common motif often found in Japanese art.

Sanbasō 三番叟面

The word Sambaso literally means ” the third oldest man ” and is a character who performs a prologue in a classical play, whether in Noh, Kabuki or Bunraku. Sambaso is performed as a salute to the audience on behalf of the actor’s performance that night. On New Year’s Day, Sambaso is always the first actor to appear on stage to greet the audience, and this role is always played by the “third oldest man” of the ensemble of actors.

Men-yoroi 面鎧

These were the armored masks worn by warriors and samurai. They were decorative although they also served as protection in battles and were personalized according to the preferences and fit of the wearer. The men-yoroi covered the entire face of the wearer of the mask and offered the greatest possible protection, while the menpo were partial coverings. Today, most menyoroi can be found on display in museums.

Namahage なまはげ面

The Namahage are demon-like beings represented by men wearing oni (ogre) masks with the difference being hair on the mask and traditional straw (mino) capes during a New Year ritual. In its origins, the custom was that young people pretended to be kami and made visits during the New Year season and admonish those who were not doing something useful and encourage young children to obey their parents and behave well. .

Which of these skins would you like to wear? Which one impresses you the most? Tell us in the comments!