NIHONMATSU SHISHIGASHIRA

With a history dating back as far as the 12th century, the shishimai is still performed throughout Japan today. Commonly referred to in English as the Lion Dance, performers don the mask of a shishi (beast), usually a lion or deer, and dance to exorcise spirits and invite good luck. Shishigashira, or lion masks, are made throughout Japan, with marked differences in design in every region. Within Fukushima Prefecture, the Hashimoto family of Nihonmatsu City have been in the shishigashira-making business for over one hundred and seventeen years.

Recently taking over the reins of the family business from his father, twenty year old Kazunari Hashimoto represents the fifth generation of craftsmen in his family. Displaying artistic skills which belie his youth, he is a picture of concentration as he deftly carves the finishing touches onto a finely detailed mask.
The Hashimoto family traditionally use the light but sturdy paulownia wood for their shishigashira, and go as far as to find and cut down the trees themselves in order to find just the right wood. Set-ting the family apart from other shishigashira-makers is their method of carving. Instead of the commonly used practice of assembling several separately carved pieces of wood to make one mask, a method which makes the mask susceptible to splitting and breaking, the Hashimotos carve the entire head from one block of wood. This results in a stronger, and therefore, longer-lasting mask. Differences in facial features occur from maker to maker, with the characteristic of the Hashimoto family's masks being the lion's snub nose, as opposed to the longer, more easily carved snouts found on other shishigashira.

Although the process of carving and painting the mask is relatively fast, the preparation of the wood for carving can be time-consuming. After roughly being cut into the shape desired, the wood is then boiled to extract excess oil and left to dry naturally for one year. Once the wood is ready, the fine details are carved to the customer's specifications, imperfections are corrected with was hi paper and several layers of undercoat are applied, after which the finishing touches are made with lacquer and gold leaf.In addition to being used in the Lion Dance, smaller shishigashira were often bought by families on the occasion of the birth of a son to ensure the boy's good health. As a result, the masks are made in a variety of sizes, and can be found in homes throughout Japan.

Many of Japan's traditional arts and crafts have been threatened with extinction in recent years due to the aging of artisans and scarcity of successors. However, young artisans such as Kazunari Hashimoto provide a ray of hope in the struggle to keep these age old skills and practices alive. At the very least, the tradition of the shishimai, it seems, has been saved for future generations to enjoy.