Back - Ushiromen

Japanese: 後面 - うしろめん

〘Noun〙① A type of Kabuki dance. The idea is to wear a mask on the back of the head as well, and to play different roles on the front and back of the body. It is said to have started in 1732 ( the 17th year of the Kyoho era ) when Sadoshima Chogoro adapted "Tsurigitsune" into a Shosaku-do. ※The storybook "Hyakufuku-cha Dainen-banashi" (1789) is forgotten, and it is written as "What dance did you see? (omitted) The beginning was a mask, then a back mask."② A colloquial term for the Nagauta or Joruri used in ①. ※Miscellaneous haiku, Yanagi Taru-Rokukyu (1817) "The back mask that cannot be played in the Hokke nai"

Ko-men [rear]

〘noun〙① rear; back part; rear. ※Saikoku Risshihen (1870-71)〈translated by Nakamura Masanao〉5 "The Romans say that a man who lives in a daze has hair on his front and is bald on his back." 〔Yang Wanli - Poem about a boat passing through Tonglu〕② A later meeting. ※Kiri Shi Dan Orai (around 1568) "There is still _time to meet him at _the rear."

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙① 歌舞伎舞踊の一つ。後頭部にも面を付け、身体の前後をそれぞれ別の役に演じ分ける趣向。享保一七年（一七三二）に佐渡島長五郎が「釣狐」を所作事化したときにはじまるという。※咄本・百福茶大年咄（1789）とし忘れ「なんぞおどりをみたか〈略〉はじめが、どうせうじ、それから、うしろめん」② ①に用いる長唄、または浄瑠璃の俗称。※雑俳・柳多留‐六九（1817）「かた法華内でひかせぬうしろ面」