Satirical Meme | 'Gentle and Firm' Propaganda: The Hidden Meaning Behind Japan's Noh Mask 'Hannya'
This post satirically associates a government or organization's propaganda slogan 'Gentle and Firm' with the Japanese Noh theater mask 'Hannya.' The Hannya mask represents a demoness consumed by jealousy and resentment. Through this juxtaposition, the author implies that the propaganda might conceal negative emotions and a nature completely opposite to its surface meaning.
Hannya (般若の面, Kijo no Nōmen), also simply called Hannya or Hannya-men, is a type of Noh mask used in Japanese Noh theater. The Hannya mask features a horned, wide-mouthed, and frowning demoness, representing a woman who has fallen into the realm of demons due to being consumed by jealousy and resentment.
When a certain organization promoted the slogan “Gentle and Firm,” the first image that came to the editor’s mind was the visage of Hannya.
