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.
