Blue Pottery Series

10 unique collectible characters

#01



#06


#02



#07


#03



#08


#04



#09


#05



#10


Noh Mask Series

22 unique collectible characters

#01 Ko-Omote
Most familiar of the female masks, Ko-Omote represents a young girl in her teens. Words such as pure and innocent do not adequately describe her; still blissfully ignorant of the eternal love/hate dynamics of relations between the sexes, that very naivete can occasionally makes her seem a little unforgiving. 

#06 Juroku

Juroku reputedly modeled on the features of Taira no Atsumori, who was a young Heike nobleman slain at the tender age of sixteen. 

The modeling of the eyes gives the mask a quality that is both gentle and yet ready for battle. 

#11 Ryo-no-Onna

Ryo-no-Onna represents the spirit of a dead woman. The term “ryo”, meaning “spirit”, refers in Noh to both the souls of the living and spirit of the dead. The mask known as Ryo-no-Onna belongs to the latter. 


#16 Kojishi

Kojishi represents a young lion, which is an imaginary sacred beast. Compared with Shishi-guchi, which is used as a parent of Kojishi, this mask is full of youthful vigor.

#21 Hakushiki-jo

Okina.
Hakushiki-jo is used exclusively in the Noh piece Okina, and symbolizes wisdom and tranquility. As opposed to the many Noh players with dramatic elements, Okina is really a sacred ritual of celebration. As such it ranks most highly of all the Noh repertoire. 

#02 Magojiro

Magojiro takes its name from Kongo Magojiro, and is reputedly modeled on his wife, who died of a young age. 

If one were to rank the attractiveness of female characters in Noh, this would be the pinnacle of noble feminine beauty. 



#07 Kagekiyo

Kagekiyo takes its name from the great soldier Taira no Kagekiyo who was defeated and exiled, prisoned, lost his sight and became a beggar. 



#12 Namanari

Namanari represents a woman filled with anger and jealousy. 

It is the first stage of becoming a demon. At the same time, she has a fierce and pitiful look. 



#17 Shishiguchi

Kongo-Style.
Shishi-guchi represents an imaginary sacred beast and mount of Monjusri. 

Shishi-guchi is used only in “Shakkyo”. 


#22 Kokushiki-jo

Kokushiki-jo is used exclusively in Okina, an ancient dance ritual said to be close to the roots of Noh. ”Noh yet not Noh”, Okina is viewed as sacred and therefore accorded a different status from other items in the Noh repertoire. 

#03 Zo-Onna

Zo-Onna represents a slightly older woman of composed demeanor. 

A mask of sublime and sacred aura, Zo-Onna appears often in roles such as goddesses, bodhisattvas and celestial maidens. 





#08 Chigusa-Ayakashi

Chigusa-Ayakashi takes its name from its creator the mask carver Chigusa. 

Ayakashi represents the malign spirit of a general killed in battle. 



#13 Hannya

Hannya represents a woman transformed by jealousy and resentment into a serpent-like demon with horns, fangs, and wide gruesome mouth. 

Hannya’s expressions is not only fury and resentment but also grief and regret. 

#18 Shishiguchi

Hosho-Style.
Shishi-guchi represents an imaginary sacred beast and mount of Monjusri. 

Shishi-guchi is used only in “Shakkyo”. 



#04 Shakumi

Shakumi is modeled on a middle-aged woman. 

Its name derived from the hollowed out quality of the cheeks and the mask is also distinguished by the well-defined shapes of its features. 

It is used for the roles of mothers seaching for children. 


#09 Yaseotoko

Yase-Otoko represents the ghosts of dead men who have fallen into suffering of hell. 





#14 Shinja

Like Hannya mask, Shinja, too, represents a woman transformed by jealousy and resentment, but emphasizes her feeling of rage. 

Shinja is used only in “Dojo-ji Koshiki”. 



#19 Washibana-Akujo

Washibana-Akujo represents a fierce, eagle-nosed old man. 

“Aku” means strong. 





#05 Doji

Although in Japanese the word Doji simply means “child”, in Noh it refers not a child in the general sense, but rather to a divine being symbolizing eternal youth. 






#10 Hashihime

Hashihime takes its name from in “Hashihime Densetsu Legend”, a story of jealous womon who seeks revenge. Hashihime is used only in Kanata. 



#15 Shikami

This is a demon mask for male demon roles and is characterized bu its grimacing mouth and the gold-tinted eyes and teeth which symbolize its supernatural power.



#20 Shaka

This mask depicts Shaka or Shakamuni, the historical Buddha. 

Shaka is used in just one play “Daie”. 




Buddha Statue Series

6 unique collectible characters

#01 Fudo Myoo

Fudo Myoo is in the category of "Myoo" when the Buddha statues are divided into four types: Tathagata, Bodhisattva, Myoo, and Tenbu. 

Myoo is a "messenger who crushes evil." In other words, it is a Buddha who acts by himself to surrender the evil. Its predecessor is the god of Brahmanism and Hinduism because it is a Buddha born from being adopted in the process of esoteric Buddhism. 

Fudo Myoo appears in the form of anger (the angry phase) in front of those who do not follow the teachings of Tathagata, and disciplines and rescues them. He has a flame on his back, a treasure sword in his right hand, and a rope in his left hand. 


#06 Samantabhadra

Samantabhadra falls into the category of "Bodhisattva" when the Buddhist statues are divided into four types: Tathagata, Bodhisattva, Myoo, and Tenbu.

Bodhisattva is an abbreviation for Bodhisattva, which means "a person who seeks enlightenment." In addition, he seeks enlightenment himself and at the same time tries to save all living things in order to become an enlightened Tathagata.

Samantabhadra means the universal teaching of the Buddha. Appear everywhere and rescue people. In contrast to the wisdom of Manjushri, it is called Samantabhadra of the action.

In the scripture called "Hokkekyo", he vows that he will take charge of Hokkekyo in the world after the death of Buddha and will appear in front of the practitioner on a white elephant with six fangs and protect it. It is said that. Therefore, it is represented as sitting on a white elephant, which is a spirit beast.

#02 Buddhist Bodhisattva
The Buddhist Bodhisattva falls into the category of "Bodhisattva" when the Buddhist statues are divided into four types: Tathagata, Bodhisattva, Myoo, and Tenbu.

Manjushri is said to be a real person born in India after the death of Buddha, and is a symbol of wisdom, as the phrase "three people approach the wisdom of Manjushri."

It is called Samantabhadra of wisdom, as opposed to Samantabhadra of the action.

It is often expressed as riding on a lion, which is a symbol of strength, with a sword in the right hand and a lotus flower and scripture in the left hand.





#03 Fudo Myoo

Fudo Myoo is in the category of "Myoo" when the Buddha statues are divided into four types: Tathagata, Bodhisattva, Myoo, and Tenbu.

Myoo is a "messenger who crushes evil." In other words, it is a Buddha who acts by himself to surrender the evil. Its predecessor is the god of Brahmanism and Hinduism because it is a Buddha born from being adopted in the process of esoteric Buddhism.

Fudo Myoo appears in the form of anger (the angry phase) in front of those who do not follow the teachings of Tathagata, and disciplines and rescues them. He has a flame on his back, a treasure sword in his right hand, and a rope in his left hand.






#04 Buddhist Bodhisattva

The Buddhist Bodhisattva falls into the category of "Bodhisattva" when the Buddhist statues are divided into four types: Tathagata, Bodhisattva, Myoo, and Tenbu.

Manjushri is said to be a real person born in India after the death of Buddha, and is a symbol of wisdom, as the phrase "three people approach the wisdom of Manjushri."

It is called Samantabhadra of wisdom, as opposed to Samantabhadra of the action.

It is often expressed as riding on a lion, which is a symbol of strength, with a sword in the right hand and a lotus flower and scripture in the left hand.




#05 Bishamonten

Bishamonten falls into the category of "Tenbu" when the Buddha statues are divided into four types: Tathagata, Bodhisattva, Myoo, and Tenbu.

Tenbu is the "gods who protect Buddhism." Heaven means the heavenly world and those who live in heaven. It is not the purpose of salvation of people, but the role of protecting Buddhist law. Originally a Brahman or Hindu god, it has various shapes.

Bishamonten is located in the four corners of the Sumidan, which is the area of ​​Buddha, and protects the north of the four heavenly kings who protect Tathagata and Bodhisattva.

In addition to controlling treasures and good luck, the faith as a guardian or victorious god is flourishing.








Noh Mask2 Series

20 unique collectible characters

#01 Uba

Uba represents an old woman as an incarnation of God. It is characterized by hollowing out the entire prone eye. This surface (front) is slender, the area around the eyes and cheeks are mild, the hair muscles are not disturbed, and the neatness is outstanding. 












#06 Hanamagari Chujo

This mask made by the early 15c carver Fukurai. Same as Chujo, this mask takes its name from the talented Heian poet Ariwara no Narihira, on whom it was modeled. The feature is that the nose is slightly bent. 





















#11 Ayakashi

Beaten brass eyes accented with red make this mask appropriate for the roles of warrior spirits. As is the convention with masks of spirits or supernatural beings, the teeth are also gilded. It is used for the role of the ghost of Taira no Tomomori in Funa-Benkei or a man who has been betrayed in Funahashi (The Floating Bridges).











#16 O-Akujo

This mask represents a strong, fierce old man. O-Akujo has a prominent, slightly hooked nose and metallic eyes that glare out from under a heavy ridge forming the eyebrow. Sharp tension furrows line the area above the eyes and the leering mouth exposes upper and lower teeth and a curled, red tongue. Implanted hair for moustache and beard lend the mask a strange realism.  Deep creases are also found around the mouth, running vertically down the cheeks. Individual hairs painted in white and black form the eyebrows and the entire mask is painted in an earthy tan. 

#00 


#02 Komachi-Rojo
Heian period poetess Ono no Komachi served at the Imperial court and is the only woman among the Six Poetic Geniuses named by anthologist Ki no Tsurayuki. An unrivaled beauty in her youth, she lived to be nearly ninety. In noh she is most often portrayed as a woman of over 100 years, living in seclusion. The expression is quiet and a sense of Komachi's refinement and past beauty remain. Noh about Ono no Komachi in her old age include Sotoba Komachi, Seki-dera Komachi and Omu Komachi.

#07 Chujo

Based on the features of Heian period poet Ariwara no Narihira, while the modeling of the mouth is similar to that seen in some women's masks, the strong nose is appropriate for a refined nobleman. The furrows between the eyebrows ere ate a melancholy expression. This mask is associated with noh that tell the tragic stories of noblemen whose spirits suffer in the Ashura World of Warring Titans after death such as Kiyotsune, but is also is used for other nobleman characters such as the spirit of poet Ariwara no Narihira in Oshio and Unrin-in.







#12 Kotobide

Kotobide represents the spirit of a fox or other terrestrial spirit. A gaping open mouth which exposes a wide, red tongue and both the upper and lower teeth, draws the cheeks upward and makes the circular, metallic eyeballs jump out to create an overall expression of dauntlessness. The painted black eyebrows arch high above the eyes. While the general features of the Kotobide are similar to O-tobide, they are on a smaller scale and the Kotobide has no ears and is painted a dark, red ochre. Used by the protagonists, shite , in the second act of plays like KOKAJI. 

#17 Ikkaku-Sennin

This is a mask used only in the noh lkkaku-Sennin, the story of an Indian hermit who was born to a deer. In the noh he has used magic to imprison the rain dragons and the emperor sends a woman to seduce him in order to deprive him of his powers. The tip of a deer's antler is used for the hermit's single horn. When this mask is not available the mask Ayakashi is used for the role instead.

#03 Yaseonna

Yase-onna represents the spirit of a dead woman. Her emaciated visage, skin stretched parchment—like over her skull, speaks of wretchedness and sorrow is the tragic face of a once-beautiful woman reduced by the torments of hell. Special care is taken to ensure the correct balance between the prominent cheekbones and the nose. Sunken deep in their sockets, her eyes are vacant, dull, devoid of hope. This mask is used for deluded heroines in plays such as Kinuta and Motomezuka. 

#08 Kantan-Otoko

Kantan-Otoko is designed exclusively for the shite in the play Kantan. The story is based on the Chinese tale of the "Pillow of Kantan." A young man anxiously pondering his future stops in the village of Kantan and stays at an innfamed for the magical pillow left there by a wizard. Borrowing the pillow, the young man lays his head upon it and falls into a deep slumber in which he has a vivid dream.  The role is acted using this one mask right up to the moment the protagonist recognizes the truth of the transience of life for himself. The nose, dominating the face, is broad and sturdy. The long eyes and firm mouth are also associated with youth, but the furrows of uncertainty etched between his brows betray his turbulent state of mind.

#13 O-Tobide

The eyes of beaten brass which seem to leap out at the viewer give this mask its name. One of the eyes of the mask looks above to the heavens, the other below to the earth, as it flies, keeping watch over the world and realm. Used for the god Wakeikazuchi in Kamo or the god Zao Gongen in Arashiyama.












#18 Dai-Ryu-O

This mask represents the Great Dragon King, or Naga-raja, leader of the dragons or serpents living beneath the ocean who control the tides, rain, and the flow of rivers. Dragons are said to revere and protect the wisdom of the Buddhist Dharma, and Eight Dragon Kings are said to have attended the teaching of the Lotus Sutra by the Buddha. It may be used in the kogaki, or performance variation, of the Noh "Kasuga Ryujin" when a full retinue of dragons appear from Sarasawa Pond in Nara to persuade the priest Myoe Shonin (1173-1232), who has been longing to visit sites in China and India sacred to Buddhism, that he can find all of those important sites represented in Japan. 

#04 Yoroboshi

This mask is used exclusively in the noh Yoroboshi for the role of a young boy who goes blind from grief after been driven from his home by slander. He takes refuge at a temple where he finds inner peace, and while begging for alms is happily reunited with his father.











#09 O-Doji

The features of an older child than the Doji, the creases in the brow, the sharp eyebrows and the fiercely open eyes are filled with strength. This mask is most appropriate for a role like that of the demon of Mt. Oe as he appears in the first half of De-yama.




















#14 Tokusa-jo

Tokusa-jo represents an old, plebeian man. Its rectangular-shaped, open mouthed with thin, tense eyebrows, and flattened nostrils thus depicting a distinguished elderly man. Tan horse hair is implanted on the chin. Only the upper teeth are visible. While Tokusa-jo was made especially for the shite in the play TOKUSA. 











#19 Higashinomon-no-Rei

This is the leader of the spirits of the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, gathered now at the East Gate of the Land of the Dead. This original kyogen mask was created for Inori, Prayer (originally titled Genshigumo, The Atomic Cloud).





#05 Shojo

A sea sprite of Chinese legend, the Shojo is said to have a body similar to a monkey, a human face, and to be covered with red hair. It enjoys human company and loves to drink wine and to dance. It is similar to the Doji mask and also has a fairylike quality. It is used only in the noh Shojo.










#10 Heita

The features of a middle-aged warrior, the ruddy color of a face weathered on the battlefield, this mask is used for roles of warriors of the Minamoto clan. It is said to be a portrait of Kamakura period warrior Kajiwara Heita. It is used in Ebira (The Quiver) or Yashima the name of a famous battle site.

















#15 Beshimi-Akujo

This frowning clenched-mouth mask is used for the roles of tengu, mountain goblins, usually regarded as the enemies of Buddhism. While the tengu are usually proud and intent on tricking priests into acts of heresy as in Zegai or Dai-E, the tengu in Kurama Tengu is a master of the arts of war and teaches his skills to the young Yoshitsune. The Beshimi Akujo mask is particularly appropriate in variations of plays where the tengu is portrayed as being very old and strong and is costumed completely in white.



#20 Udappa-Sennin

The Immortal Udappa-Sennin watches over many spirits in the Land of the Dead. Taking pity on the soul of a mother who has lost her child, he helps to reunite them. This original kyogen mask was created for lnori, Prayer (originally titled Gen shigumo, The Atomic Cloud).

Paper Cutting Series

11 unique collectible characters (※the samples show a part of the image)

#01 Goldfish In The Benten Pond

A work depicting twin girls set in the Yoshiwara Yukaku in the Taisho era.



#02 Botan Doro-The Peony Lantern

A work on the theme of the ghost story "Botan lantern" by the rakugo storyteller Sanyutei Encho in the Meiji era.
A scene where a ghost named Otsuyu appears to meet a lover with a lantern decorated with peony.

#03 Pulled Out Goldenfishes

A work inspired by the English nursery rhyme "Mother Goose".


#04 Sketch of Yoshiwara1

A sketch of a scene from Yoshiwara Yukaku in the Edo era.
Oiran reading a letter while smoking a cigarette.


#05 Sketch of Yoshiwara2 

A sketch of a scene from Yoshiwara Yukaku in the Edo era.
A scene where Oiran exchanges sake cups with customers.


#06 Ali’n’ce In Wonderland1

A story by Lewis Carroll "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" is mixed with the culture of Yoshiwara Yukaku in the Edo era and drawn in a picture scroll style.




#07 Ali’n’ce In Wonderland2

A story by Lewis Carroll "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" is mixed with the culture of Yoshiwara Yukaku in the Edo era and drawn in a picture scroll style.
 


#08 Parade Of The Goldfish

The famous "Oiran Dochu" of Yoshiwara Yukaku in the Edo era is often depicted in Kabuki and Ukiyo-e.
Oiran, a prostitute of Yoshiwara Yukaku, was likened to a goldfish for her glamorous appearance. A work that inflates the imagination from there and fantastically depicts Oiran walking in the water.

#09 Drop Of God Of Sea

A Goddess of the Dragon's Palace.

#10 Moon

An Angel holding the moon.

#11 Wind of May

Boys from the Heian era meet in the refreshing breeze of early summer.

#12 Sketch of Yoshiwara Kamuro

A sketch of a scene from Yoshiwara Yukaku in the Edo era.

#13 Smoke

The earliest work that the author started paper-cutting.

#14 Spider

A woman wearing a kimono with a fleeting image.