Oh! Its ひょとこ (Hyotoko)
Here is an update on the “one eyed dude who looks like he just ate a pickle” in the mask display that I posted earlier. After Stuart asked about him, I found this mask of the same fellow in Asakusa and purchased it for him.
I’ll let you guess the story of the guy who is behind the mask. But what is the story of the mask itself? Japanese traditional theater is famous for the masks and costumes that are worn. This mask is from Kyogen theater, a comic theater form. The fellow’s name is Hyotoko, athough he also goes by "The Whistler".
Only a few of the Japanese people I spoke to really know anything about him, but they all knew his name. My secretary described him as a guy seen at old time festivals in a Hapi coat and doing a funny dance like a clown to make people laugh. Another said that it was worn by drunk people at the office party.
Note the red cheeks – he does look like he has been having fun. And he always has his lips pursed like he is whistling or putting out a lot of effort.
Actually, he is from a famous story which of course is a love story. He is paired with Okame, who was originally portrayed as idealized feminine beauty. Anyway, I won’t ruin the ending by giving anymore away. Just do a web search and you will probably find more.
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