Published • loading... • Updated
'Dancing in their hands': Japan wig masters set stage alive
Tadashi Kamoji says each wig is custom-made and finished in a few hours to a month, with around 1,400 styles used for kabuki roles.
- Ahead of a performance at Tokyo's famed Kabuki-za theatre, wig master Tadashi Kamoji carefully styles a topknot for actor Nakamura Tanenosuke, providing the essential element that allows performers to fully embody their characters in traditional Japanese Kabuki.
- Kamoji, a 60-year-old 'tokoyama,' emphasizes that understanding a character's nature is vital to the job, noting that wigs effectively convey age, social status, and personality.
- Creating these wigs requires immense skill, with around 400 types for female roles and 1,000 for male parts; Kamoji, who joined the profession at 18, still learns from his 85-year-old father.
- These specialists are 'truly indispensable,' Nakamura Tanenosuke, 33, explains, noting that each step is a switch leading to the moment an actor fully becomes their character with the wig providing the final touch.
- The profession has recently moved into international spotlight after 'Kokuho,' a box-office hit about two 'onnagata,' was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the Oscars this year, highlighting craftsmanship often hidden behind the curtain.
Insights by Ground AI
19 Articles
19 Articles
Tadashi Kamoji wig master and Tanenosuke Nakamura actor at Kabuki-za Theatre photo AFP YUICHI YAMAZAKI Born in the 18th century, kabuki mixes dance, theatre and music. Actors wear sumptuous costumes, wigs and thick makeup, and play in ancient dialect on elaborate sets. Reporting to the Kabuki-za theatre in central Tokyo with master wig maker Tadashi Kamoji. Every kabuki theatre actor, traditional Japanese art known for his striking makeup and el…
Performing arts: 'Dancing in their hands': Japan wig masters set stage alive
·Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Read Full ArticleCoverage Details
Total News Sources19
Leaning Left2Leaning Right5Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Center
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
46% Center
15%
C 46%
R 39%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
