Foreword from Noh Mask Craftswoman, Mitsue Nakamura
The expression "like a Noh mask" is often used as a metaphor for an impassive or expressionless face. However, a defining feature of the Noh world is its emphasis on conveying human emotions and inner thoughts, rather than focusing on narrative storytelling. As a result, the masks that actually appear on stage express profoundly rich emotions. Anger, sorrow, joy, melancholy, hatred, jealousy, bashfulness, and the thrilling heartbeat of first love—these and many other human sentiments (or rather, those of spirits and gods) are captured through a variety of ingenious sculptural techniques. Indeed, the finer the mask, the more dramatically its expression changes with even the slightest shift in angle, which is why performers who wear and dance with them take great care in adjusting the angle when putting them on.
This website is designed so that you can observe how the masks truly transform their expressions in diverse ways. No computer graphics or any other effects are used to depict these changes; instead, you can view the transformations through a series of photographs captured in continuous sequence.
Latest News
The 24th Shirakawa-kai Noh Mask Exhibition by Mitsue Nakamura’s Noh Mask Classroom
A joint exhibition of works from three classrooms (Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo)
This year, it will be held at the nationally registered cultural property "Shimadai."
We look forward to your visit.
November 22 (Sat) to November 24 (Mon, holiday), 2025
10:00 - 18:00 (until 16:00 on the last day)
Venue: Shimadai, East Wing
North side, Karasuma Higashi-iru, Oike-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
(70m east of Exit 1 at Karasuma-Oike Subway Station)
TEL : 075-221-5007
《 Free admission 》
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The 5th Mitsue Nakamura School Noh Mask Exhibition
We are pleased to announce that we will hold a joint exhibition of works by our three schools (Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre this coming September.
This will be a different exhibition from the one held in Kyoto, which has become a regular event. We hope you will enjoy the exhibition.
《 Free admission 》
[Period]
September 26 (Fri) to 28 (Sun), 2025
10:00 - 18:00 (until 16:00 on the last day)
[Venue]
Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
B1F Atelier East
1-8-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
[Access]
JR, Tokyo Metro, Tobu Tojo Line, Seibu Ikebukuro Line
2 minutes walk from West Exit of Ikebukuro Station, directly
connected to Exit 2b of the underground passageway
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She appeared on NHK TV program "Geino Kiwamido"
She appeared on the NHK TV program "Geino Kiwamido" broadcast on June 20, 2025.
Check out this link for more information.
NHK TV program "Geino Kiwamido"
She appeared on NHK TV program "Oha! Yo-idon."
She appeared on NHK TV program "Oha! Yo-idon: masks for Asa no kai Nohgaku" on December 4, 2024.
Check out this link for more information.
NHK TV program "Oha! Yo-idon."
Other Information
