The Art of Hairstyling in Japan
The Art of Hairstyling in Japan (Photo courtesy of LILIA)
Hairstyling is a profession that is taken very seriously in Japan. Japanese hairdressers are some of the most highly trained in the world, and they inherit a tradition that carries deep historical significance. Let’s look at the role hair and hairdressers have played throughout Japan’s history, and the role they continue to play today.
Nihongami: Traditional Japanese Hairstyles
Though the history of Japanese hairstyling goes back thousands of years, we will start in the Edo period, around the 17th century to the 19th. Before then, fashionable noble ladies would wear their hair long and down. But around this time a variety of updo styles known today as “nihongami” (traditional Japanese hair) were born. While there are countless varieties of nihongami, they are generally alike in their basic structure. The sides of a woman’s hair would be pulled back to form two wings, and a bun or topknot would be formed on the top of the head. The traditional hairstyle for men from this period was called the chonmage. Similar to the women’s styles, it featured two wings and a topknot, the main difference being that men would usually shave the top of their heads. This style originated among samurai, as it helped to keep their helmets in place, but it soon spread throughout society at large.
Left: A depiction of Murasaki Shikibu, a noble court lady and the author of The Tale of Genji, one of the first novels in the world. Her hair is worn long and down, as was the fashion among noble ladies in the Heian period (around the 8th century to the 12th).
Middle: Beauty Looking Back by Hishikawa Moronobu (1618-1694). This famous woodblock print shows a woman with a fashionable hairstyle of the period, with her hair tied up and decorated with a tortoiseshell hairpin. (Photo courtesy of ColBase <https://colbase.nich.go.jp/>)
Right: A print of a kabuki actor, Otani Oniji III, wearing a chonmage style by Sharaku, a famous Japanese ukiyo-e artist (Photo courtesy of ColBase <https://colbase.nich.go.jp/>)
Top: A depiction of Murasaki Shikibu, a noble court lady and the author of The Tale of Genji, one of the first novels in the world. Her hair is worn long and down, as was the fashion among noble ladies in the Heian period (around the 8th century to the 12th).
Middle: Beauty Looking Back by Hishikawa Moronobu (1618-1694). This famous woodblock print shows a woman with a fashionable hairstyle of the period, with her hair tied up and decorated with a tortoiseshell hairpin. (Photo courtesy of ColBase <https://colbase.nich.go.jp/>)
Bottom: A print of a kabuki actor, Otani Oniji III, wearing a chonmage style by Sharaku, a famous Japanese ukiyo-e artist (Photo courtesy of ColBase <https://colbase.nich.go.jp/>)
Traditional Hairstyles Today
In 1871, as part of the Meiji Restoration in which Japan underwent rapid changes, a law was passed that effectively ended the custom of men wearing topknots. In time, nihongami also fell out of fashion among women in favor of more Western styles. Nowadays, you are unlikely to see these styles on the streets of Japan. However, these traditions still live on in various ways in modern Japanese society, from traditional entertainment to celebrations.
In the world of kabuki, a traditional Japanese form of theater, actors wear carefully hand-styled nihongami and chonmage wigs. Hair is an important story-telling device in kabuki, helping to establish and develop characters. Many plays even call for multiple wigs for a single character, as their changing hairstyles reflect their growth over the course of the story.
Left: In the world of kabuki theater, actors wear carefully hand-styled nihongami wigs. (Photo courtesy of Shitara Town Tourism Association)
Right: Multiple chonmage wigs for a single character in a kabuki play. The character is a pampered young master who is banished to the countryside. As he gets into various scrapes over the course of the play, his chonmage progresses from clean-cut to disheveled, reflecting his fall from grace. (Photo courtesy of Tokyo Kamoji Tokoyama Co., Ltd.)
Top: In the world of kabuki theater, actors wear carefully hand-styled nihongami wigs. (Photo courtesy of Shitara Town Tourism Association)
Bottom: Multiple chonmage wigs for a single character in a kabuki play. The character is a pampered young master who is banished to the countryside. As he gets into various scrapes over the course of the play, his chonmage progresses from clean-cut to disheveled, reflecting his fall from grace. (Photo courtesy of Tokyo Kamoji Tokoyama Co., Ltd.)
In sumo, the traditional Japanese sport of wrestling, wrestlers are required to wear chonmage topknots. A wrestler who has achieved the elite rank of sekitori wears a special topknot called an “oicho” in which the hair is splayed out into a fan, resembling a ginkgo leaf. Upon a wrestler’s retirement, a ceremony called “danpatsu-shiki” is held in which his topknot is cut off. Various people who played important roles in the wrestler’s career take turns cutting, with the wrestler’s master taking the final snip.
Left: Sumo wrestlers who have reached the elite rank of sekitori wear a hairstyle called an “oicho” in which the topknot is splayed out into a fan, resembling a ginkgo leaf.
Right: A danpatsu-shiki, a ceremony in which a sumo wrestler’s retirement is marked by the cutting of their topknot. It is often a solemn event. (Photo courtesy of NIHON SUMO KYOKAI)
Top: Sumo wrestlers who have reached the elite rank of sekitori wear a hairstyle called an “oicho” in which the topknot is splayed out into a fan, resembling a ginkgo leaf.
Bottom: A danpatsu-shiki, a ceremony in which a sumo wrestler’s retirement is marked by the cutting of their topknot. It is often a solemn event. (Photo courtesy of NIHON SUMO KYOKAI)
Nihongami styles can also be found in the contemporary world of geiko (professional women who liven up parties with traditional Japanese performing arts such as dancing and playing the shamisen, also called “geisha” in some areas) and maiko (apprentice geiko). Here they are used to denote one’s rank. Over the course of their training, maiko wear many different hairstyles. Maiko just beginning their careers wear a style called “ware-shinobu” that is marked by a red fabric in the bun that peeks out from both the front and back. Maiko who are about to graduate to become geiko wear a style called “sakkou” which features a waxed strip of hair that hangs backward. The ornaments decorating their hair may also denote the season or various events.
Left: A maiko is an apprentice geiko, a woman who livens up parties with dancing and other traditional Japanese performing arts.
Right: The ware-shinobu hairstyle is marked by a red fabric in the bun that peeks out from both the front and back. It is worn by maiko who are just beginning their careers. (Photo courtesy of tomikiku_gionhigashi)
Top: A maiko is an apprentice geiko, a woman who livens up parties with dancing and other traditional Japanese performing arts.
Bottom: The ware-shinobu hairstyle is marked by a red fabric in the bun that peeks out from both the front and back. It is worn by maiko who are just beginning their careers. (Photo courtesy of tomikiku_gionhigashi)
Left: The sakkou hairstyle features a waxed strip of hair that hangs backward. It is worn by maiko in their final days before graduating to become geiko. (Photo courtesy of Kyoto Kimono Ichiba "Kimonoto")
Right: A geiko wears a hairpin in the form of an ear of rice with a dove perched on it, a seasonal ornament commonly worn around the start of the New Year. (Photo courtesy of tomikiku_gionhigashi)
Top: The sakkou hairstyle features a waxed strip of hair that hangs backward. It is worn by maiko in their final days before graduating to become geiko. (Photo courtesy of Kyoto Kimono Ichiba "Kimonoto")
Bottom: A geiko wears a hairpin in the form of an ear of rice with a dove perched on it, a seasonal ornament commonly worn around the start of the New Year. (Photo courtesy of tomikiku_gionhigashi)
Behind the scenes of these traditional worlds are specialty hairdressers called “tokoyama.” A tokoyama may use his or her talents in the field of kabuki, sumo, geiko and maiko, or even period film and TV drama production. These artisans employ tools and techniques that date back hundreds of years to the Edo period. For example, tokoyama in the world of sumo use a special mixture of rapeseed oil, wax, and fragrance to slick the wrestler’s hair back. They use a variety of boxwood combs for different purposes, such as smoothing the hair and removing debris. An extremely fine and delicate comb is used to carefully style the fan-shaped oicho topknot. The topknot is tied with a special twine called “mottoi.” This twine is made by repeatedly dipping Japanese washi paper in glue and drying it in the sun until it is strong enough to withstand the most intense sumo bouts. Though these traditional supplies are getting harder to come by, modern tokoyama persevere in preserving these historical practices.
Left: A tokoyama hairdresser styles a wig to be worn by a kabuki actor using camellia oil. (Photo by Ichigo Sugawara, courtesy of OSHIMATSUBAKI Co., Ltd.)
Middle: A paper twine called “mottoi” is used to tie up the hair. (Photo by Ichigo Sugawara, courtesy of OSHIMATSUBAKI Co., Ltd.)
Right: In the world of sumo, tokoyama hairdressers use traditional oils and twine in order to give sumo wrestlers their signature topknots. (Photo courtesy of NIHON SUMO KYOKAI)
Top: A tokoyama hairdresser styles a wig to be worn by a kabuki actor using camellia oil. (Photo by Ichigo Sugawara, courtesy of OSHIMATSUBAKI Co., Ltd.)
Middle: A paper twine called “mottoi” is used to tie up the hair. (Photo by Ichigo Sugawara, courtesy of OSHIMATSUBAKI Co., Ltd.)
Bottom: In the world of sumo, tokoyama hairdressers use traditional oils and twine in order to give sumo wrestlers their signature topknots. (Photo courtesy of NIHON SUMO KYOKAI)
Nihongami also lives on among ordinary Japanese people in what is called “shin-nihongami,” or “new nihongami.” These hairdos capture the beautiful silhouettes of traditional nihongami while using modern hassle-free styling products. Many young women enjoy wearing shin-nihongami styles to celebrate important turning points in their lives, such as weddings and Coming of Age Day (a celebration in Japan for those who recently became adults). With shin-nihongami styles, the wearer is less bound by rules and has more freedom to be creative with ornamental hairpins and other decorations, so it is a fun opportunity for girls and women to rediscover the appeal of Japanese culture.
Left: A bride wears a kimono and a shin-nihongami hairstyle for her wedding day.
Middle: A bride with a shin-nihongami hairstyle paired with an iro-uchikake, a colorful bridal robe worn over a kimono.
Right: For Coming of Age Day, many young women wear shin-nihongami hairstyles with elaborate chirimen silk crepe ornaments. (Photo courtesy of LILIA)
Top: A bride wears a kimono and a shin-nihongami hairstyle for her wedding day.
Middle: A bride with a shin-nihongami hairstyle paired with an iro-uchikake, a colorful bridal robe worn over a kimono.
Bottom: For Coming of Age Day, many young women wear shin-nihongami hairstyles with elaborate chirimen silk crepe ornaments. (Photo courtesy of LILIA)
The Modern Japanese Hairstyling Profession
These days, hair in Japan is no longer tied to one’s social status and is instead a personal expression of style. However, the commitment to quality remains unchanged. People who work with hair today can be largely divided into two categories, barbers (“rihatsushi”) and hairdressers (“biyoshi”), each with their own separate licenses. While the professions overlap in that they both deal with cutting hair, only barbers are licensed to shave hair, and only hairdressers can offer styling services such as perms. The qualifications and skill levels for both are considerably high. Those who wish to become hairdressers must go through 2-to-3-year training programs, pass a national exam, and work for several years as an assistant while undergoing further tests before reaching the level of fully-fledged hairdresser.
Staff at a Japanese hair salon take seminars as part of their ongoing training. (Photos courtesy of MINX)
Hairdressers who work at events such as weddings in particular must master a wide range of skills. A Japanese bride may have several outfit changes over the course of her wedding, including both Western-style bridal gowns and traditional Japanese kimono. Her hairdresser must have the skills to create both Western and traditional Japanese hairstyles to match her outfits, and to deliver high-quality looks in a short amount of time.
Professional hairdressers who work at events such as weddings must deliver high-quality looks in a short amount of time. (Photo courtesy of Hair Salon Chidori)
A Quality Salon Experience - Not Just for Adults!
Japanese hair salons are also a great place to enjoy Japan’s famous customer service. In Japan, children can enjoy quality and comfort at the hair salon just like their parents. That’s because Japan has many excellent salons tailored to children. Children can choose from a catalog featuring a wide variety of cool and cute hairstyles. They can enjoy getting their hair cut while watching a movie of their choice and sitting in a salon chair shaped like a car or their favorite cartoon character. Talented hairstylists who specialize in children give professional-quality haircuts using shampoos and gels that are gentle on children’s hair. And when their haircut is finished, children can get a prize, such as a snack or a toy from a capsule-toy vending machine.
Left: Japanese children’s hair salons are both cute and stylish. Children can ride in a sports car and watch a movie of their choice while getting their hair cut. (Photo courtesy of KID'S HAIR DESIGN CHOKKIN’S)
Middle: Talented hairstylists who specialize in children give professional-quality haircuts. (Photo courtesy of KID'S HAIR DESIGN CHOKKIN’S)
Right: At many children’s salons, children can get a prize after their haircut is finished, such as a snack or a toy from a capsule-toy vending machine. (Photo courtesy of KID'S HAIR DESIGN CHOKKIN’S)
Top: Japanese children’s hair salons are both cute and stylish. Children can ride in a sports car and watch a movie of their choice while getting their hair cut. (Photo courtesy of KID'S HAIR DESIGN CHOKKIN’S)
Middle: Talented hairstylists who specialize in children give professional-quality haircuts. (Photo courtesy of KID'S HAIR DESIGN CHOKKIN’S)
Bottom: At many children’s salons, children can get a prize after their haircut is finished, such as a snack or a toy from a capsule-toy vending machine. (Photo courtesy of KID'S HAIR DESIGN CHOKKIN’S)
Thanks to Japanese hairdressers’ commitment to quality and the importance with which hair is treated in Japan, everyone - from a child getting their first haircut to a bride wearing a traditional style for her wedding - can enjoy a quality hairstyling experience.