Mentai-ju News vol.19

Among the various Hakata souvenirs, one that particularly catches the eye is the "Niwaka mask" design, which is a half-mask with drooping eyes.
The motif is based on half of a mask from "Hakata Niwaka," a local performing art that is an intangible folk cultural property of Fukuoka City.

There are various theories about the origin of Hakata Niwaka, but it seems to have been passed down since the Edo period.
There are plays such as "Danmono Niwaka" which are performed in the form of a play.

This is a traditional comedy performing art in which performers, wearing a mask called a "Niwakamen (half mask)" and a "Botekazura (wig)," speak in Hakata dialect and add a punch line to the end of their stories using a pun (a pun with the same pronunciation but different meaning). The audience is in a frenzy with the warm humor that is based on everyday life and the state of society! This is a show you should definitely check out when you want to laugh.

Every August, the "Hakata Bon Niwaka Tournament" is held, and in November, the "Autumn Hakata Niwaka Tournament" and "Tenjin
You can see them at various events such as "Hakata Niwaka Live".