While translating this chart, I stumbled upon this overview of the Kushikanzashi museum dedicated to hair accessories. It reminds that before Edo era, women used to wear their hair down/loosely tied (垂髪 subeshigami styles = hair tied behind and hanging down/long flowing hair).
When nihongami appeared (=the trademark Japanese bun we think of when thinking about “ancient Japan”), it was first considered casual style, so a woman would in fact nor wear an updo for formal events.
When nighongami spread, demand for combs increased, leading to a flourishing craft.
Combs also varied widely during the whole period, following the fashion and styles, from big+wide during peak Edo (which loved big hairstyles) to dainty+narrow in Meiji era (where hairstyles were much more muted).
As for the combs types depicted by Rin, you can see from left to right, top to bottom:
First column:
月形 Tsuki gata (crescent shaped) - small comb like this one became popular around 1825 after a sumptuary law banned more extravagant combs. This one was made famous by actor Iwai Hanshiro for the character Mikazuki Osen.
半月形 Hantsuki gata (half crescent shaped) - a small comb like tsuki gata, with a somehow thin and even spine and long teeth, popular during Tenpô era.
閑清形 Kansei gata (kansei shaped) - a small comb with a soft rectangular shape, popular in Tenpô era.
新牡丹形 Shinbatan gata (”young peony” shaped) - small comb with a small spine and rounded corners, fashionable after Tenpô era.
柳川櫛 Yanagawa kushi (Yanagawa comb) - a small comb made from ivory dyed red, then carved to revealed white patterns. Such combs were popular during Kôka era.
Second column:
銀覆輪櫛 Gin fukurin gushi (silver ornemental border comb) - comb with a silver framed ridge, popular during MeiwaandAn’ei eras. It is said to have been invented by famous jack of all trades Hiraga Gennai (and hence also named Gennai comb 源内櫛)
光輪形 Kourin gata (Kôrin shaped) - an ornated comb with openwork designs popular during MeiwaandAn’ei eras. The patterns were inspired by works of famous painter Ogata Kôrin hence the name
御巻用の櫛 Kushimakiyou no kushi (hair roll comb) - a long comb, big enough to wrap the entire hair around. In Hôreki era, A kyûji onna (teahouse waitress) named Minatoya Oroku who waited a teahouse in the precincts of Sensoji Temple is said to have invented this style who soon spread among the population.
硝子製の櫛 Garasusei no kushi (glass comb) - appeared in first half of 18th century. Glass was quite rare and precious then as it was a foreign good (as shown by the names used: ビードロ/bidoro from Portugese vidro or ギヤマン/giyaman from Dutch diamant). Such combs were very fragile.
角形 Kaku gata (angle shaped) - a comb with a straight rectangular shape, popular in Tenpô era.
Third column:
天丸形 Tenmaru gata (“all round” shaped) - a straight forward name for this comb which has a very large and round “yama“ (spine part) which leave plenty of room for decorations (painted, inlaid etc)
糸鬢丸形 Itobin marugata (itobin round shaped) - “Itobin” (lit. thread like sidelocks) was a men hairstyle from early Edo era (head mostly shaved except for thread like locks on temples and nape). OP wonders if the name of this comb originated from this peculiar look? It’s true the shaft kinda looks like a balding head with the tiniest bit of hair left ;)
山高形 Yamataka gata (tall mountain shaped) - a style fashionable during Kyôhô-Genbuneras. The name is pretty straight forward as it has a pretty high (=taka) spine (=yama”), which made a nice canvas for decorations.
利休形 Rikyuugata (Rikyuu shaped) - popular during Kan’en and Hôreki eras, this comb looks like a longer yamataka comb. OP doesn’t know why it was named after the Rikyû school of tea ceremony.
鎌倉形 Kamakura gata / 政子形 Masako gata (Kamakura shaped / Masako shaped) - a comb popular during MeiwaandAn’ei eras, named after the “nun shogun” Hojo Masako (wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of Kamakura shogunate). Such combs were not only ornmental but also used to untangled and straighten the hair - it the go to shape when one’s think about Japanese combs.
November 2021: Aoi-tayuu and Tsukasa-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, reflecting on the importance of choosing one’s seat in a theater, such as the Pontocho Kaburenjo Theatre, wisely when wearing tayuu nihongami. Unlike nihongami worn by Kyoto maiko, tayuu nihongami tends to be taller and wider, which makes it that much more of an obstacle to other patrons.
November 2021: Aoi-tayuu, of Suehiro okiya, reflecting on the importance of choosing one’s seat in a theater, such as the Pontocho Kaburenjo Theatre, wisely when wearing tayuu nihongami. Unlike nihongami worn by Kyoto maiko, tayuu nihongami tends to be taller and wider, which makes it that much more of an obstacle to other patrons.
Today in Kamishichiken: Misedashi of Maiko Umenana from the Umeno Okiya!
What a suprise! I didn’t expect Umenana to debut for another two weeks, her Minarai-period was exceptionally short, it wasn’t even three weeks long!
Umenana is really expectionally cute, she has such a babyface, if I didn’t know better, I’d think that she was 12 or 13 years old! Her childish look makes her look a lot like pre-war junior Maiko, who often debuted between the ages of 10-13. She also reminds me of Ichiai and Ichisumi from Pontocho, who also look very young.
The fact that she looks so childlike makes me hope that she stays around for longer even more, so that we can all see her blossom into a mature young woman! But for now, the first-year Maiko-look certainly suits her perfectly ^^.
There are still two more Misedashi in Kamishichiken to come, one more from Umeno with Minarai Umesana, who will debut sometime in October, and Minarai Ichihiro from Ichi, whose Misedashi date is still unknown. Kamishichiken suffered a lot of losses this year, but they also had four debuts and the Maiko who debuted last year seem to be staying around, so it’s not all bad.
Congratulations on your debut Umenana, and all the best wishes for your career!
July 2018: Sisters Maiko Katsuki and Geiko Katsune (Daimonji Okiya) of Kamishichiken at the Kamishichiken Beer Garden.
The Kamishichiken Beer Garden runs from the 1st of July to the 4th of September every year and is held at the Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theater.
At the Kamishichiken Beer Garden, Maiko and Geiko of Kamishichiken wearing casual yukata and light makeup chat with guests over a few glasses of beer. Entry is 2,000 Yen (15,40 EUR/18,10 USD) and a beer costs 1,000 Yen (7,70 EUR/9,05 USD) and it’s open to everyone.
It’s that time of year! The Gion Festival (祇園祭) is upon us, and so is the unique kanzashi set that are made anew each year! I am absolutely IN LOVE with 2018′s design as it features some themes that haven’t been seen in a very long time!
The most obvious are Fireworks (Hanabi - 花火) in bright colors with glittering rhinestones! Bold colors, like red and yellow, are used for juniors while soft colors, like purple and blue, are used for seniors. Both junior and senior maiko have pink fireworks to tie them together! Floating below them are Water in the form of Streams (Kawa - 川). Fireworks are often set off along the edges of rivers so that they can catch the reflections in the water. Finally, these two motifs sit on a bed of bright blue and white (for seniors) and blue and pink (for juniors) Clematis (Tessen - 鉄線). Since the Katsuyama piece only features the two main motifs it has the fireworks and stream motifs with silver butterflies and silver cherry blossoms. Most importantly, the katsuyama piece features the extremely traditional Egret Feathers (Sagi No Ha - 鷺の羽) that have been present in the katsuyama pieces of maiko Gion Festival kanzashi for over a century. They used to be sourced from the egrets that dot the Kamo River, but they have since been outsourced so as to not let them go extinct.
All maiko in all five kagai will be wearing these kanzashi from July 10th to 24th^^
Images are courtesy of Kyo Hanamachi Kawamura, who are the owners of the Kawahisa (川久) okiya in Miyagawa Cho, and geiko Toshimana. Maiko Kanako (叶子) of Kawahisa (川久) is the model for the senior set and Toshinana (とし七菜) of Komaya (駒屋) is the model for junior set.
It’s that time once again! Time to check out the monthly kanzashi motifs as brought to us by Kazurasei! Be sure to check out their Instagram and website for more gorgeous kanzashi!
As both a kanzashi and a plant, the hydrangea stands out against others for its unique make up of colors and styles.
Looking specifically at the plant, hydrangeas are like chameleons who can change their colors depending on the ph level of the soil around them. Soil that’s high in acid (6.5 or lower) will produce blue colored blooms while alkaline soil (7.5 or higher) will produce pink colored blooms! To get a spectrum of colors ranging from blue to purple to pink in one plant a gardener must carefully choose what sections of soil to make more acidic and which to be more basic. The roots of the hydrangea can withstand the differences in ph levels without issue and will not become shocked like almost all other plants would. If applying an acidic mix once the plant begins to sprout in the spring you’re far more likely to see a mix of pink and blue blooms, just like the ones depicted in the kanzashi above.
As for kanzashi, the build of the hydrangea is very unique compared to all others. Instead of many petals close together and/or multiple flowers clustered together on their own wires, the hydrangea is made up of four petaled flowers (almost identical to nanohana) that are pushed into styrofoam ball bases. These bases are used to support many kanzashi, but you don’t see them quite as well as you do in the case of hydrangeas. The visible base is meant to resemble an actual hydrangea flower head whose stems are not as tightly packed as other flowers.
The most important thing to note is that hydrangeas are water loving plants, which makes them the perfect symbol for June! Beginning in June and lasting until around mid July, Japan, and Kyoto in particular, experience their rainy season. It will rain almost daily without fail and is known extremely large raindrops known as Tsuyu (梅雨), meaning “Plum Rain.” The fresh blue color and shiny flower centers of the hydrangea kanzashi are meant to give an atmosphere of coolness to the viewer, so seeing a maiko wear a hydrangea kanzashi is akin to bringing about thoughts of cool breezes an air conditioners.
When it comes to maiko, hydrangeas tend to be limited to senior maiko, even though they feature small clusters of flowers that junior maiko are known for; this is because all of the small hydrangea flowers together create one large bloom that is counted as a single flower and not multiple small ones. Like all other senior kanzashi, it is most often found in bunches of one or three, as shown on Ayano (彩乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) in Gion Kobu above.
July 2018: maiko Ichiaya showing the tanzakumotifs on the sleeve of her hikizuri at the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts (source). For the Tanabata festival, which runs from early July through early August, Japanese people will write wishes (often in the form of poems) on small pieces of paper and tie them to the leaves of bamboo plants.
And here you’d thought I wouldn’t cover this one before the month was over! To be fair, I did kinda forget about it, but it’s better late than never, right? To round out the month I’ll use using two examples! As always, all kanzashi are from Kaurasei.
An important plant whose symbolism cannot be underestimated, the willow makes up one half of the Karyūkai (花柳界). The flowery oiran are contrasted with the subdued yet willowy geisha to form a whole pleasurable experience. Although oiran no longer exist today, geisha are still often compared to the willow, and it’s quite a compliment!
As a plant, the willow is an extremely strong tree whose roots are always growing in order to tap into water. Like the wisteria, a willow can crack the foundation of a house with ease in its search for sustenance. Besides their strength they are also indispensable in the role that they play in providing a small respite from the plum rain and summer sun that June is known for. Their bushy boughs provide both shade and a natural umbrella to travellers who are caught unawares by a sudden storm or heat wave. There are willow trees planted around the Shirakawa that provide vital shade for ochaya in the afternoon. Bright Swarovski crystals are added to the leaves to look like glistening dew, which is said to bring cool thoughts to those who view it.
Much more noticeable on this piece is the inclusion of silver swallows mounted on springs, which are closely tied to the willow. Swallows can be seen in the summertime performing amazing aerial feats that see the birds skim the surface of streams in order to catch insects. As can be gleaned, swallows can be found resting in the willow branches between dives. Since they move so quickly it seems appropriate for them to be made of a material that mimics their swift movements!
Hidden in the back of both are umbrellas, which are a necessity during the June rainy season. Like the willow, they provide shelter from the rain and sun and are a must have for all maiko and geiko.
Rounding everything out are the symbols of feminine grace, the carnations. They are sometimes called “Pinks” or “Dianthus” (their scientific family name), and each term is correct when referring to them. The soft and gentle carnation is the symbol of Japanese femininity, and embodies the term Yamato Nadeshiko (大和撫子). It is also a very popular summer flower as it’s easy to grow, comes in a multitude of colors (not just pink!) and sizes, and can be seen growing wild at the sides of rural roads. Their bright pink or red coloring really stands out against green grass (and willows), so it seems natural to have them be featured in June!
Image courtesy of Emi Blue who allowed me to use this version.
June, along with May, is one of the only months where senior maiko wear shidare on their kanzashi without being mistaken for juniors. Usually the shidare for the willow will become shorter as they mature, but is still often spotted. Here we can see Mamesumi (豆純) of Ninben (亻) in Gion Kobu (above) wearing a senior version of the willow kanzashi, as shown in the first example above. What makes it senior is the use of only a single large umbrella rather than multiple smaller ones and shorter shidare than the other. The silver swallows, considered a simple motif, are most commonly seen on senior willow kanzashi, but they can occasionally be found on the occasion junior kanzashi too.
In comparison, Mametama (豆珠) of Ninben (亻) in Gion Kobu (below) is wearing the junior version with its multitude of pink carnations, small umbrellas, and long shidare. The brighter colors, combined with a host of small motifs, tell us right away that this is a kanzashi for a junior maiko. If her okiya wanted to, they could remove the shidare when she becomes more senior and she could wear it that way, but it would lose some of its sparkle (which I am a big fan of!) ^^
The Kawahia Okiya from Miyagawacho has debuted a new Minarai! Her name is Kanasue (叶季) and her Misedashi will take place in 4 to 6 weeks. This is already the second girl Kawahisa will be debuting this year, which is rare, since they are a pretty small okiya. It’s looking good for them!
May 2019: Maiko Kanako (Kawahisa Okiya) of Miyagawacho throwing the first pitch during a baseball game at the Koshei Stadium.
It’s a tradition for a Maiko or Geiko from Miyagawacho to throw the first pitch during a Hanshin Tigers baseball game once a year! Last year, now retired Geiko Kimihiro was chosen to do it.
Don’t get confused by Kanako’s kanzashi by the way: She’s wearing her January kanzashi because it features lucky motifs and a small Hanshin Tigers flag is pinned to it!
Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan, alongside Sumo, Judo and soccer. They have a unique tradition when it comes to throwing first pitches: The batter is supposed to swing and miss the ball on purpose!
May 2019: Maiko Mamesumi (Ninben Okiya) of Gion Kobu performing Kurokami, “black hair”. It’s a special dance that is almost exclusively performed during a Maiko’s sakkou period.
A “sakkou period” are the two to three weeks before a Maiko has her Erikae and becomes a Geiko. She wear the special, elaborate sakkou hairstyle (very well visible in the picture above), and wears a special, self-designed kanzashi consisting of lucky motifs. They also wear special outfits, but those depend on the customs of the kagai. In Gion Kobu, Maiko wear a formal black kimono, a golden obi and a mostly white collar.
At the end of their sakkou period, the end of the girl’s bun is symbolically cut off to signify her transition from Maiko to Geiko, from girl to woman.
Mamesumi’s Erikae will take place on the 30th of May! It’s the first Erikae from Ninben/Shibata since Mamesome’s in February of 2013.
