“Washi” Episdoe 1
“Washi” Episdoe 1
Masks with humorous expressions. Their colors and shapes are very beautiful, aren’t they? These masks are traditional folk crafts which have kept is tradition from the Edo period and made from Japanese paper or washi. Its making process involves pasting multi-layers of washi and once they are dry, we unmold it. This particular technique is called “hariko” and there are numerous folk crafts made using this technique nationwide. The soft and gentle touches of washi, together with the bright colors make them very attractive. Washi is made of paper, but you will be astonished by its toughness and durability. The mask of a man wearing the polka-dotted tenugui (Japanese washcloth) has a name of “hyottoko”. Moreover, the mask of a woman with puffy pink cheeks is named “okame”. The bright red colored mask is the “red ogre”. When you visit Japanese festivals, you will find shops selling these traditional masks but as well as masks made of plastic with popular animation characters.