Even Japanese people joke that Noh dramas equal no drama, but the masks worn by actors performing the world’s slowest-moving and most obscure style of theater are miracles of the carvers’ art.
And not because they’re such lifelike representations of the elephants…
cranes…
foxes…
and monkeys.
No, these masks are especially fabulous for another reason: even though they’re carved from single pieces of wood, they can change their expressions!
If the actor tilts his head up or down, the character can go from surprised to fearful…
or cheerful to downright angry…
in the blink of an eye!
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Would you like to be whisked away to Japan, wherever you are?
“The Samurai’s Octopus…is a truly remarkable book, one that surprised and charmed me at every turn of the page. It’s one of the most memorable books I’ve read in a long time. You’re in for a treat.”
—James Ziskin, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity Award-winning author of the Ellie Stone mysteries
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
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