Noh theater has a very long history in Japan. The style was first transferred over from China during the 8th century, and it seems to have been the Japanese version of slapstick or archetypal performance in the very beginning. It wasn’t until the 14th century that it became more operatic in quality, and in 1647 it was demanded that no changes be made to the style. This means that the performances from 1647 and the performances done today should be very close, if not exactly the same. Only men perform these plays, and there is a very strong family tradition where the skills are passed down from father to son.
The masks are an integral part of the performance. Only the main character wears a mask. There are five different types of masks: men, women, demons, gods, and the elderly. The masks have a neutral expression (although many of them appear to be very expressive), so that all of the emotional changes must be done through body language. Once a performer has donned his mask and costume he will sit in front of a mirror until he can become his character.
What I find so interesting about these masks is the variation found within the five different categories. The masks are very similar but also very unique. This is especially obvious in this YouTube video that shows at least thirty different masks. You’ll notice how each of the masks has a different name, but that there are still certain similarities within the groups and names.
Because the masks are generally so simple it’s easy to think that they are equally simple to make, but this is certainly not the case. Each one is made from a single piece of wood, carved into the shape, gessoed and painted, and then any accoutrements like hair attached. It amazes me how symmetrical the faces are and how expressive they can be detached from the performer. It is so hard to create perfect symmetry in a piece of art, so the fact that each of the masks has this symmetry is impressive. I could never make anything so precise or well done.
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Kate (and Bo) Ramble Along... 
Very interesting information. Not very many styles are kept in a traditional sense, especially in theater. Thanks for including the process of hwo they are made, too. NIce embedde video, some of those are just downright creepy… Well done.
This was actually one of the first pieces/videos I looked at when trying to decide what to make my blog post about, so it’s nice to see what treatment someone else gave to it. Good information, it was good reading about it, not just watching the video. Also appreciated the blurb about how they were made as well. Good job!