Are the collars of kabuki costumes replaced during a run?

The kabuki white does not stop at the face: it goes down the neck, the nape and the upper chest. So the collar is soiled by makeup every single day — and by sweat besides. Left alone, the soiling would transfer to the garment itself.

This is where the han'eri does its work. A separate cloth set over the kimono's collar, it detaches from the garment for washing. It serves as the receptacle for the soiling and is changed frequently — how often depends on the case, and roles with heavy makeup or heavy sweating require it more.

The point of the arrangement becomes clear when you remember that a gold-embroidered uchikake or a vast suō cannot easily be washed. To protect the outer garment, a layer is placed inside to absorb the soiling — one of the reasons kabuki dress is built in layers at all. From the seats, only the white of the collar is visible; that single cloth is holding up a garment that will serve for decades. Care taken where nobody looks is what makes the white on stage possible.