Hitamen 直面 ["plain face"]

for this acting, the shite actor must keep his face neutral so it functions as a mask. Used for youngish, male characters who are alive in the dramatic present. Old men, men in great suffering, supernatural males, and all female characters are portrayed with masks. Waki actors, who never portray women or supernatural beings, always perform without masks, as do child actors (kokata). [KWB]

A grasscutter (the maejite of Atsumori) is maskless and holds a sheaf of grass (hasami kusa). He wears a mizugoromo robe tied with a decorated sash (koshiobi) over a noshime kimono. There is a stage attendant (kōken) seated in the background.

[GloPAD #1001537. Courtesy of the Noh Research Archive of Musashino Women's College.]