The Hyottoko Mask

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Hyottoko Mask

My grandfather apparently had a cousin who died when he was barely into his teens.

What I heard was that he died in a very unnatural way, and at the time, it caused quite a stir among relatives and people in the neighbourhood.

It happened one day shortly after the war.

In those days, there was a severe shortage of just about everything, and the cousin was rummaging through the Kura (traditional Japanese storehouse) with some friends, looking for anything they could sell or trade for food.

He belonged to the main branch of our family, so the storehouse was a hodgepodge of old things, some of them antiques and others nothing more than junk. 

They thought they might find something of value among the clutter.

While they were searching, they came across a hyottoko mask.

Perhaps he simply liked the look of it, because the cousin put the mask on, ran out into the street, and began dancing wildly.

Hyottoko dancing in front of a Kura

His friends found it hilarious. With him wearing the mask, they carried on making a racket, laughing and fooling around until the evening.

But some time later, the cousin suddenly appeared to trip over something, and without warning, fell flat onto the road, lying there motionless. 

At first, his friends thought he was just fooling around. 

But when after shaking him and calling out to him multiple times he still remained unresponsive, they sensed something was wrong and picked him up and carried him back to a zashiki (tatami room) in the main family house.

Zashiki with tatami floor

He lay unmoving on the tatami, but groaned in a faint, weak voice:

“The mask… Take off the mask…”

Upon hurriedly removing the hyottoko mask, they discovered his face had turned ashen and lips purple, looking as lifeless as a corpse.

Seeing that he was hardly breathing, the family braced themselves for the worst when they called a doctor.

It couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes from the moment he collapsed to the time the doctor arrived.

And yet, as soon as the doctor took one look at the cousin, he spoke to the family in a stern voice:

“Why did you leave him like this!? He’s been dead for at least half a day!”

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💖NOTES AND LINKS:

Hyottoko (火男) is a famous, comical Japanese character known for a distinctive mask with a puckered, sideways mouth and mismatched eyes. (Wikipedia) 

⭐️Meaning and OriginName Origin: 

The word comes from hi (fire) and otoko (man), because the face looks like a person blowing air through a bamboo pipe to stoke a fire.

⭐️Symbolism: Despite looking silly, Hyottoko brings good luck, prosperity, and protection for the home and hearth. In some northern regions, he is revered as a fire god.

⭐️Festivals and Dances: 

Dancers wear Hyottoko masks during local Japanese festivals (matsuri) and folk dances like the Dojosukui dance. He acts as a lovable clown who performs clumsy, humorous movements.

Below; Hyottoko Dance in summer festival:

Hypttoko is frequently paired with Okame (or Otafuku), a smiling female mask with round cheeks, to create funny routines.

Below: Hyottoko dancing with Okame

⭐️Links: 

Hyottoko (Traditional Kyoto)

HYOTTOKO MASK MEANING: FIRE, LUCK AND FESTIVAL DANCE (Dai Yokai)

Mask Stall

If you encounter a mask stall like this one at festival, you might be able to get a Hyottoko mask of your own!😆