Kamenya Omote, a Tokyo-based shop that sells artistic masks for parties and film and theater productions, has started producing three-dimensional face masks that model the features of a stranger’s face. The masks are frighteningly realistic, with only two details giving them away — the printed eyes and lips don’t move. 3D printed Face Masks
The shop’s owner, Shuhei Okawara, says that he received headshots from over 100 applicants who were interested in modeling for the masks when he first launched the project in October. He eventually picked one person and paid her 40,000 yen (~$385) for her portrait.
The shop will start offering the masks for sale in Spring of 2021 for 98,000 yen (~$950) apiece. Okawara predicts that the masks will be popular, based on the high demand thus far. The first model, based on his face, is currently available for pre-order on Kamenya Omote’s website for a slightly lower price of 78,000 yen (~$750). Okawara plans to add more faces in the future, including those of people outside Japan.
In case you wondered, these masks will not protect you from the coronavirus. A playful “Precaution” fine-print clause on the shop’s website adds: “Wearing a mask narrows your field of vision and makes it difficult to breathe […] Please enjoy the inconvenience.” 3D printed Face Masks
