Wigs

Kazura (bound wigs) 鬘・蔓

A kazura is made with long hair (either human hair or horse mane), parted at the center. For women’s roles, the wig is set on the actor’s head, combed, rolled at the sides, and gathered in a low tail at the nape of the neck, where it is tied with a white paper knot (mottoi or motoyui 元結).

Tare (loose wigs) 垂

Tare (lit. ‘hanging’) wigs have below-shoulder-length hair tied to a ring that is placed on the crown of the actor’s head. The hair is combed so that portions fall to the front. A hat or other headgear is placed on top of the wig, covering the ring.

Kashira (large wigs) 頭

Kashira are constructed by attaching hair to a cloth strip that is tied to the head with sashes. The hairs flare out in all directions obscuring the mask and cascading down the back of the actor. An extension can be added at the back of the wig, for extra length.

Special wigs

Some wigs are used only in special instances or in variant performances. A  woman’s wig with a long hairpiece extension (naga-kamoji 長髢) is used for the nagabakama variant performances of Aoi-no-ue and Dōjōji, where a jealous woman wearing a Hannya mask dons long trailing red trousers. In the plays Mochizuki and Uchitō-mōde the actor performs a shishi “lion” dance wearing a variant large wig that is attached to gold open fans that substitute for a lion mask. In addition, some kyōgen plays, such as Hige-yagura and Tō-sumō require beards.

Finally, some plays, such as Tōru or Unrin’in, are performed without wigs (ji-gami, or “own hair”).