Nihongami

Back view of themarumage(Hoàn 髷)hairstyle

Nihongami(Nhật Bản phát,lit. 'Japanesehair')is the term used for a number of traditionalJapanesehairstylesconsidered to be distinctive in their construction and societal role.

Traditionally, the construction of mostnihongamihairstyles consisted of two "wings" at the side of the head, curving upwards towards the back of the head to form atopknotorponytail,with a long loop of hair below this also drawn into the topknot. Styles were accessorised withtraditional hair accessories,though typically only by women; the combination of both style and accessories formed hairstyles that distinctively varied based on gender, age, job role and social standing.

Most styles ofnihongamiwere hardened and shaped with wax, known asabura,and were styled with specially-carved combs made of eitherbambooorboxwood,with heated tongs used to straighten the hair before styling. Hair styled in this manner was typically restyled weekly, and in some cases would necessitate sleeping on a pillow raised from the floor, known as atakamakura.

Nihongamiare no longer commonly worn, and today are most often seen onmaiko,geishaandsumo wrestlers.A number of different styles ofnihongamiare also worn bycourtesan re-enactorsand moderntayū,and many styles once common in theEdo periodare seen faithfully reproduced inkabukiplays, which themselves also commonly date to the Edo period. Though some styles ofnihongamiare well documented, others have, over time, fallen into obscurity, with little in the way of documentation in regards to their appearance, name, origin and method of styling.

History

Antiquenihongami katsura(wig) in a display case.

Theyuiwatahairstyle

Many hairstyles now labellednihongamiwere developed during the Edo period, when a preference amongst women for long, flowing hairstyles transitioned towards more elaborate, upswept styles, featuring buns at the back of the neck and 'wings' at either side of the head. This trend, originating amongstcourtesansand kabuki actors, soon spread to fashionablemerchants' wives, before becoming a general fashion trend seen throughout Japan.

During this time, a number of widely-varying hairstyles were developed and worn by Japanese women, with hairstyles commonly worn based on age, social class and occupation. One such hairstyle that developed during the Edo period was theshimada,which was commonly worn by girls in their late teenage years. Theshimadabecame the basis for a number of popular hairstyles, such as thetōrōbin shimada(lit. 'lanternshimada'), which developed in the mid-Edo period; featuring wide wings at the side of the head, its name was said to refer to the fact that the area behind a person could be seen through the wings of a hairstyle, akin to being able to see through atōrōlantern.Thetōrōbin shimadaexperienced wide popularity, and was commonly depicted inukiyo-eprints by artists such asUtamaro.

Other hairstyles, such assakkō(Trước trâm cài đầu),momowareand theyuiwatawere also worn by young women; themomowarehairstyle was typically worn by girls during the Edo period, withsakkōbeing worn by newly married women during the later Edo period andMeiji period.

Historically, traditional hairstylists, known askeppatsu-shi,were almost entirely women,a trend which continued up until the 1970s, when the last hairstylist servicing thetayūinKyotodied, leading to hairstylist Tetsuo Ishihara taking the role.The boxwood and bamboo combs used to create the hairstyles were, and continue to be, handmade by craftspeople; however, though as many as 200 craftspeople made combs nearOsakain the mid-19th century, few craftspeople exist to produce traditional combs in the modern day.

During and afterWWII,wigs (known askatsura) being worn by geisha; this allowed geisha to go weeks without needing to restyle their hair, over the once or twice weekly required when not wearing a wig.The hairstyles worn bymaikoalso changed following WWII, thoughmaikocontinued to mostly use their own hair instead of a wig. Previously,maikohad worn hairstyles relatively similar to theshimadastyle worn by geisha, with each section of the hairstyle appearing longer and less voluminous in style. In the postwar period, the number of hairstylists with the knowledge to create this hairstyle dwindled significantly enough that the hairstyles ofmaikowere redeveloped.

In the present day, there are still relatively few traditional hairstylists, with just five in 2004 in Kyoto servicing the entirety of the geisha andtayūcommunities.

Styling

Though a number of different hairstyles exist, mostnihongamistyles follow a relatively similar construction method. Knowledge of the styling methods for as many as 115 different styles ofnihongamisurvives to the present day.

The hair is first divided into five sections:

1. The front 'bangs' (in British English 'fringe') sectionmaegami(Trước phát)
2. The two side wings, orbin(Tấn)
3. The bun/topknot section, called themage(髷)
4. The nape section, which forms a long loop of hair underneath the topknot, called thetabo(髱)

Each section is styled towards themageat the top of the head; variations in the volume and shape can denote a different hairstyle entirely.The hair is then styled using traditional boxwood or bamboo combs (known astsuge gushiandtogushirespectively),and is kept in place with the addition of wax, the thickness of which varies based on factors such as weather and humidity. Parts of the hairstyle are supported by the addition of waxed hair extensions, typically yak hair,before being secured with wire cords known asmottoiand kept in place with hair accessories and combs.Separate hair combs, featuring small, short teeth, are used to gently touch up the hairstyle once styled, keeping it free from dirt and dust.

Geisha

Post-WWII, geisha began to wear wigs (known askatsura) instead of styling their own hair, a trend which continues to this day. Geisha generally wearshimada-style wigs known asgeigi shimada(Vân kỹ đảo điền),geiko shimada(Vân tử đảo điền)orchū takashimada(Trung cao đảo điền).This style is distinguishable from theshimadathat brides wear by its generally flatter and thinner appearance; thebinare smaller and less rounded, themageis placed further back on the head, and thetabois longer and thinner; themaegamiis also typically not as full. Geishakatsuraare styled to suit each individual's face, meaning that no two geishakatsuraappear alike, whereas bridalshimadaare typically rented and pre-styled, leading to less variation than is seen in thekatsurageisha wear.

The style ofshimadaworn by older geisha to special events is known as thetsubushi shimada(Hội し đảo điền,lit. 'smashedshimada').This style ofshimada,worn by older women in previous centuries, is the flattest form of theshimada,with themagepushed relatively far back off the head, appearing somewhat squashed with the usually-open loop of themagecrushed to form two smaller, tighter loops of hair.

Brides

For traditional Japanese weddings, a style ofshimadaknown as thetakashimada(Cao đảo điền)orbunkin takashimada(Văn kim cao đảo điền)is worn by the bride, which appears extremely similar to theshimadaworn by geisha.

Thetakashimadaworn by brides is typically a pre-styled wig hired for the day, featuring full, roundedbin,amageset relatively high on the head, a fullermaegamiand a shorter, fullertaboat the back. This is usually worn with a set of matching hair accessories, which can be gold, silver, tortoiseshell or faux-tortoiseshell.

Maiko

Maikowear a number of different hairstyles throughout their apprenticeship to become geisha, many of which vary by region and individual geisha district. The hair accessories worn bymaikovary by season and occasion, and are considerably larger than mostkanzashiworn by women. Somenihongamiare particular to a certain district or event; for instance,maikofrom Gion Kobu wear a special hairstyle for theMiyako Odori.

Typically, the averagemaikowill go through five changes in hairstyle throughout their apprenticeship. These are:

• Katsuyama(Thắng sơn)– the hairstyle worn by every seniormaikoduring theGion Matsuri.Themageresembles theyakko shimadain both shape and construction, featuring the samekanokoin either red, pink or blue (for very senior maiko) tied under themage.On either side of themage,bon-ten(silver flowerkanzashi) are placed in the gap formed by themageitself. It is said that this hairstyle was created using theoiran katsuyamahairstyle from the Edo period.
• Ofuku(おふく)– the default hairstyle for seniormaiko.Likemomoware,ofukualso appears similar towareshinobu,however, instead of a bun split into two equally-sized wings, themageis left unsplit, with ategara(triangle of typicallyshibori-dyed silk) pinned to the outside, forming a triangle of silk from the base of themagethat is pinned to the centre. Asmaikograduate in seniority, the colour of thetegarachanges from red, then to pink, and then finally different colours.
• Sakkō(Trước trâm cài đầu)– the last hairstyle worn bymaikobefore graduating to geishahood.Sakkōis worn for two weeks before graduation (known aserikae). It is the most elaborate and expensive ofmaikohairstyles, decorated with formal tortoiseshellkanzashi,and a uniquesakkō kanzashidesigned by themaikoherself, featuring auspicious animals such as cranes and tortoises. Themageis tied in a complex manner, and features a hanging strip of waxed hair; the night before amaiko'serikae,the proprietress of theokiyaand themaikoand geisha of the house cuts the strip of hair and the ties holding the hairstyle together.
• Wareshinobu(Cắt れし の ぶ)– the hairstyle worn by juniormaikofor the first 2–3 years of their apprenticeship. Thewareshinobuappears structurally similar to themomowarehairstyle, with thewareshinobuhairstyle featuring a flattermage,binthat taper towards the bottom, a smaller, chunkiertaboand amaegamithat lies further towards the back of the head in its fullness.

Themageis formed by shaping a typicalshimada-stylemage,before being split into two wings with a long strip of waxed hair. Akanoko domehair ornament is placed in the middle of the wings, before two padded rolls ofshibori-dyed red silk – known as akanoko– are inserted at the top and bottom, giving the appearance of a doughnut-shaped red ring with two wings of hair on either side. Thewareshinobuis worn for amaiko's formal debut, known asmisedashi,where it is also decorated with formalkanzashimade of tortoiseshell, silver and redmiokuri(dangling silver strips placed underneath themage), and twobira bira( "fluttering" or "dangling" )kanzashi.

• Yakko shimada(Nô đảo điền)– the hairstyle worn by seniormaikoforShigyoshiki(the start of the new year),Hassaku(summer Thanksgiving in Gion Kobu only), and for performing tea ceremony atodori(dances). Theyakko shimadais constructed similarly to the basicshimadastyle, with a two-partmageat the back, identifiable for this style by the string of beads wrapped around its centre and the single-beadkanzashiplaced in the middle of this string, known collectively as thehatsuyori.In winter, thehatsuyoriis typically coral with a single jade beadkanzashi,and in summer, the colours reverse to be mainly jade with a single coral bead. Theyakko shimadaalso features a long, padded tube of silk (akanoko) tied through and underneath themage,usually in red silk, though it can be a number of colours.

Oiranandtayū

Anoiranre-enactor wearing thedate hyōgohairstyle

Historically,oiran(all high-class courtesans) andtayū(the highest rank of courtesan) wore a number of different, typically elaborate and heavily-dressed styles ofnihongami.These included, but were not limited to:

• Kinshōjo,which incorporated elements of thekatsuyamaandofukuhairstyles in themaegamiandmagerespectively
• Mitsumage,an informal style worn by lower-ranking courtesans, and not seen on townswomen or samurai women in the Edo period as in some hairstyles
• Nageshimada,a type ofshimadaappearing similar to theyugaowith a simply-formedmageand accessorised with a smaller, colourful cord tied around it; historical versions of thenageshimadaappear to show a more elongatedtaboand more prominently-loopedmage
• Onna GenrokuandOtoko Genroku,both featuring prominent and intricately-styledmage
• Tayū sakkō,similar to thesakkōworn by seniormaikoand differing in the longer, loosertaboand in the style ofkanokoused
• Yugao,named after one of the heroines in theTale of Genji,featuring widebinand a gold cord wrapped around the intricately-styledmage

Other styles worn bytayūhad less-elaborate counterparts commonly worn by townswomen,maikoand women of the samurai class. These included:

• Kansuzuma
• Ohatsu
• Oshidori
• Osome
• Tachibana
• Tachibana kuzushi
• Tsubushi shimada
• Wareshinobu

Othernihongami

Other Japanese hairstyles include:

• Bunkin shimada
• Kikugasane
• Mae ware
• Oshidori no hina
• Oshiyun

See also

• Hairstyles of Japanese women
• List of hairstyles

External links

• Media related toTraditional hair and makeup of Japanat Wikimedia Commons
• How to styletōrō shimada(in Japanese)