My name is "Ofuku", one of the Noh -mask be selling at Ktoyo Handicraft Center, Japan.
I am always like this at the cornor of the store.
Today, I leave here a short while, because we are in beautiful season of Cherry blossoms "Otafuku sakura"!!
As I have already told you, my name is "Ofuku", but sometimes people call me "Otafuku".
"Otafuku" and "Ofuku" means a lot of happiness.
People feel happy when they are with me.
So, every year, I sing a song like this!
"Watasha Otafuku Omuro no Sakura, Hana ha Hikuu tomo Hito ha Suku."
In English
I am Otafuku, cherry blossoms in Omuro (Ninna ji temple, in Kyoto), I have a button nose (not nice shapenned nose) but people love me so much!
Cherry blossoms in Omuro is a kind of shrub, so when people see them they look down them.
My nose is also button nose and we say "hana ga hikui"; hana means nose, hikui means low.
In a mean while, hana means also "flower", therefore, my nose is flower of cherry blossoms!
Generally, when we see cherry blossoms, we look up them like this.
However, when we see Cherry blossoms in Omuro, we look down like this.
When you really see cherry blossoms in Omuro, it is like this!
The distance between you and flower is so close!
You will have a sudden urge to eat flowers because of that!!
However, do not eat flowers!
I recommend you to eat "Daifuku mochi" ; rice cake stuffed with bean jam.
Why do I show you "Daifuku mochi"?
Because,,, I was a model of "Daifuku mochi" seller.
When people see my round and smile face, they feel hungy and eat Daifuku mochi.
Finally they become happy.
Today, some member of Kyoto Handicraft Center invited me at a small Daifuku mochi and tea salon.
They prepared that only for me!
"ITADAKI MASU !" (When we say "ITADAKI MASU", before starting to eat, this is to show gratitude for the meal.)
When people talk about Noh mask, they sometimes say ;
"Scared!"
"No emotional face"
But, did you really feel like this?
Noh mask give you a lot of emotion "happy" "smile" "sad" "funny", if you incline a little.
So when you enjoy Noh theater, please see well the expression of Noh mask from various angles.
If you are interested in Noh mask, please click here, you can see my "friends"; Okina, Koomote too!!
Next time, you may enjoy "promenade" with Okina mask (old man).