The masks worn by EBITEN are "Noh masks" used in "Noh". Noh is one of Japan's representative classical performing arts with a history of over 600 years, and has developed its own unique style. It is a singing and dancing drama performed on a special Noh stage using masks and beautiful costumes.
The face looks expressionless, but with just a slight difference in the angle, you can feel various expressions such as joy and happiness, teasing and sadness, shame and despair. In fact, they are intentionally made with ambiguous expressions and asymmetrical shapes.
The "中将(cyu-jyou)" introduced here is said to be modeled after Fujiwara no Narihira, and represents an elegant aristocrat or Heike lord (kindachi). On the Noh stage, it is used for songs from the Genpei era, such as Kiyotsune and Toru.
Noh mask artist | Hideyo Asano
Mr. Asano is a Noh mask artist who inherits the 650-year history of Noh masks with high skill and sensitivity. He is a grand-disciple of Ujiharu Nagasawa, the only person in the Noh mask world in Japan who has been selected as an intangible cultural property and holds the preservation technique.
The Noh masks worn in EBITEN are the work of Mr. Asano.
The site also introduces the process of making Noh masks, so please take a peek.
Instagram ＠asanohideyo
