“TRADITIONAL ” YUKATA
Clothing Japan through collaborations with traditional craftsmen from all over the country.
Yuya Egi
御面屋舞工房 惠木勇也
1985 Born in Ezu City, Shimane Prefecture.
In 2012, he opened his own masks shop, Megimai Kobo.
Focuses on the production of kagura masks made of papier-mâché Japanese paper used in Iwami Kagura, a traditional performing art in Shimane Prefecture.
He pursues the possibilities of washi masks by working on a wide range of projects, from restoring old masks to creating masks using new materials.
Iwami Kagura
・Iwami Kagura
Iwami Kagura is a local performing art with a history of about 300 years that has been handed down in western Shimane Prefecture.
While maintaining its ritualistic role as a festival, it has also evolved as a form of entertainment for the people, and the sight of the performers wearing gorgeous and gorgeous costumes and dancing violently shakes the souls of those who see them. In the performance of “The Great Serpent,” in particular, a fire-breathing, raging eight-headed serpent appears and engages in mortal combat with Susano-no-mikoto, giving the audience a realistic experience of the world of mythology.
・Iwami Kagura Mask
The masks are made of “Ishu Washi”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and are light and strong.
The technique of de-activation, in which the prototype is shattered, enables any kind of molding and is unparalleled.
Iwami Kagura originally used carved wooden masks, but in order to cope with the violent and dynamic dances, the technique of papier-mâché Japanese paper was adopted and created by the Nagahama puppeteers who once flourished in Iwami.
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