1.
kumadori; kabuki stage makeup
The distinctive bold face painting used in kabuki theater, featuring dramatic lines in red, blue, brown, or black over a white base. Each color and pattern conveys the character's nature — red indicates a hero, blue indicates a villain, and brown indicates a supernatural being.
Cultural note
隈取り is one of the most recognizable visual elements of kabuki theater. The word comes from 隈 (shadow, shading) and 取る (to take, to apply). The patterns are painted to exaggerate the muscles and veins of the face, expressing the character's emotions and personality at a glance.
Key colors
- 赤 (red): 正義, 勇気 — heroism, courage
- 青/藍 (blue/indigo): 悪 — villainy, evil
- 茶 (brown): 人間以外 — supernatural beings
Common collocations
Similar words
化粧 is the general word for makeup. 白塗り refers to the white face base used in kabuki and geisha traditions. 隈取り specifically refers to the bold colored lines painted over the white base in kabuki.