Kneeling on the floor of his atelier in the Nagahama district of Hamada, Shimane Prefecture, master craftsman Katsuro Ka-kita applies the finishing touches to one of his colorful, striking and sometimes terrifying creations.
Each depicts characters from Japanese mythology, such as the jealous female demon Hannya, the two-horned, fang-toothed creature, Oni, or the grinning god of good fortune, Ebisu. Today, however, the object of Kakita's artistic flourishes is Yamata no Orochi, a green-faced, red-eyed dragon-serpent that appears in one of the most spectacular performances of the Iwami-kagura theatrical tradition.
"I never see what we create here as being truly complete," says Kakita, who, along with his son, Kenji, makes the enthralling masks used in Iwami-kagura dances. "That only happens when kagura actors put them on and perform. That's when they come to life."