The following contains spoilers from the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba "Swordsmith Village Arc," streaming now on Crunchyroll.
Since Tanjiro Kamado's earliest battles as a demon slayer, he's relied heavily on the nichirin sword crafted especially for him by swordsmith Hotaru Haganezuka. Tanjiro first met the masked Mr. Haganezuka after completing the Demon Slayer Corps Final Selection trials. Arriving at Mr. Urokodaki's home, he presented Tanjiro with a sword he couldn't stop talking about, revealing for the first time just how passionate he was about swordsmithing. Haganezuja never revealed his face.
Even when Tanjiro arrived at the Butterfly Mansion during the "Rehabilitation Training" arc with Inosuke's swordsmith, both wore the same style of hyottoko mask, which neither removed during the visit. This led to a lot of curiosity about swordsmith culture. Was it simply a representation of their trade or a Taisho Era fashion statement? Or did it serve a functional purpose? As the "Swordsmith Village" arc began to unfold, fans got an inside look at the village Haganezuka and all the other swordsmiths live in, as well as an explanation for why they keep their faces covered and their location top secret.
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What Are Hyottoko Masks?
Japanese wooden festival masks called hyottoko are generally used to portray comical characters, as seen in their silly expressions. With puckered mouths that skew to the side and oddly spaced eyes, hyottoko often appear in comedic festival dance ceremonies. Sometimes they wear a white scarf with blue polka dots, just like Hotaru Haganezuka.
One of the interesting things about the hyottoko mask and its use by the inhabitants of the Swordsmith Village is that some believe hyottoko is a corruption of the word "hiotoku," which means fire man. The puckered mouths on these masks stretch to the side in an expression that mimics blowing fire through a bamboo straw. Because swordsmiths work closely with the fire in their forges, this mask is a clever representation for everyone in the village.
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How Do Hyottoko Masks Protect the Location of Swordsmith Village?
The nichirin blades used by the Demon Slayer Corps are absolutely essential. Because of how they are crafted, they can do the one thing a typical blade can't: cut through the neck of a demon to sever the head from the body. Over the years, Muzan has worked tirelessly to discover the location of the Swordsmith Village, believing that wiping out the makers of those nichirin blades would make it impossible for demon slayers to kill demons. For this reason, the location of the Swordsmith Village is kept hidden, even from members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Even though demon slayers are welcome to visit the village, precautions are taken before they depart to keep the village's location a secret. Before setting out from the Butterfly Mansion to thank Mr. Haganezuka for repairing his blade, Tanjiro's eyes and ears were blocked, so he couldn't commit his travels to memory through landmarks or familiar sounds. Due to his keen sense of smell, the Kakushi who began the journey with him on her back also made him wear nose plugs. Because demon slayers all possess unique abilities and training, they must be carried along the path, and not just by a single Kakushi. To ramp up protective measures, Kakushi trade off at certain locations along the route so that not even they know the full path to reach Swordsmith Village.
Precautions go beyond guarding the path's location, extending to every swordsmith in the village. Whether traveling away from the village or moving through its streets, each and every villager does their part. It starts with protecting their identities.
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Why Do All Demon Slayer's Swordsmiths Wear Masks?
Swordsmiths rarely leave their village, though there are some exceptions. Haganezuka, for example, travels abroad to deliver swords to the demon slayers, requiring him to take special safety measures. Not only does he protect his identity from the world outside the village but from his fellow swordsmiths as well. If one of them were to be caught and tortured by demons for information, they couldn't reveal the identities of their colleagues. Even when traveling within the village, they wear their masks. So, unless they're direct family, chances are they don't even know what their closest friends look like underneath the mask.
During the battle with Upper Rank Five, Haganezuka was unmasked, revealing his face to his fellow swordsmith and Gyokko, the nearby demon slayers, and audiences. This revelation gave fans a whole new appreciation for the hot-tempered swordsmith, who was surprisingly handsome behind his mask — possibly even more handsome than Inosuke Hashibira, hiding his glorious mug underneath that boar mask. With Gyokko finally obliterated, Haganezuka's identity remains safe for the time being, but fans can't help wondering what Tanjiro and the other demon slayers present thought.
All 11 episodes of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba's "Swordsmith Village Arc" are now available to stream on Crunchyroll.
