KABUKI 歌舞伎

Kabuki (歌舞伎) is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama.

Its makeup is applied heavily to create a brightly painted mask that uses colors in symbolic ways to indicate the age, gender, and class of each character, as well as their moods and personalities.

The white face creates a dramatic look onstage, and many historians believe that the white faces were more easily seen in the centuries before stages were lit with electricity.

On this white face, red and black lines are used to outline the eyes and mouth, which are also shaped differently for male and female characters.