Hannya & Noh-Style Masks: Wooden Masks from Tokyo’s Mask Shop
Yes, we sell real wooden Hannya and Noh-style masks. Today they are on the shelves of our Tokyo shop, and we are preparing to add Hannya masks to this online store. This page explains what we carry, what it costs, and how to buy one if you live outside Japan.
Where things stand
- In the Tokyo shop now: carved wooden Noh-style masks, including Hannya and Ko-omote. They are individual pieces, so the selection changes as masks sell.
- Typical prices in the shop: roughly 50,000 to 500,000 yen, depending on the piece.
- Online store: Hannya masks are in preparation. Leave your email below and you will hear first.
- Outside Japan? Write to us with the type of mask, your budget, and your country.
Hear first when Hannya masks go online
We will email you when Hannya and Noh-style masks are listed online, along with occasional news from the shop. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Photo: ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Museums, Japan: online database: entry tnm/C-1554, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What a Hannya mask is
The Hannya is one of the best-known faces of the Noh tradition: a woman caught in the middle of turning into a demon, with horns, metallic eyes, and a mouth that reads as rage from one angle and grief from another. It is not the same thing as an Oni mask, although the two are often confused. Our articles go into the detail: The Hannya Mask: jealousy, sorrow, and the most misread face in Japanese art, Noh Masks: the silence that speaks, and The Oni Mask.
Buying in person in Tokyo
KAMENYA OMOTE is Japan’s only shop specializing exclusively in masks. With a wooden mask, the weight, the way the expression shifts as you tilt it, and how it sits on your own face are hard to judge from a photograph. In the shop you can hold each one, try it on, and take photos.
KAMENYA OMOTE
3-20-5 Kyojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-0046, Japan
Open Saturdays and Sundays, 13:00–18:00. Closures are irregular, so please check before you come. Directions are on our About page, and there is a visitor’s guide to buying Japanese masks in Tokyo.
Buying from outside Japan
Until the online listings are ready, the way to buy is to write to us. Tell us which type of mask you are looking for (Hannya, Ko-omote, or another Noh-style face), your budget, and the country we would be sending it to. We will reply with what is on the shelves.
Questions
Can I buy a Hannya mask from your online store right now?
Not yet. Our wooden Hannya and Noh-style masks are currently sold in our Tokyo shop only. We are preparing to add Hannya masks to this online store; leave your email on this page and we will write to you when they are listed.
How much does a wooden Noh-style mask cost?
In our Tokyo shop, carved wooden Noh-style masks run roughly from 50,000 to 500,000 yen depending on the piece. They are individual pieces, so the selection and prices change as masks sell.
I live outside Japan. Can I still buy one?
Please write to us through the contact page with the type of mask you are looking for, your budget, and your country. We will tell you what is on the shelves and whether we can arrange it for you.
Can I try the masks on?
Yes. Every mask in our Tokyo shop can be tried on, and you are welcome to take photos. The shop is open Saturdays and Sundays, 13:00-18:00.
Are these the masks used on the Noh stage?
We describe them as Noh-style masks: wooden masks made in the forms of the Noh tradition, such as Hannya and Ko-omote. We do not present them as certified pieces used by a Noh school.
Masks you can order online today
If you want a mask to wear rather than a carved piece to keep, these ship worldwide now: papercraft mask kits by Hayashi Takeo (including kits for Halloween), kitsune fox masks, and the That Face hyper-realistic masks. For carvers and workshops across Japan, see our Japanese mask makers directory.