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Nihongami (日本髪,lit. 'Japanesehair') is the term used for a number of traditionalJapanesehairstyles considered to be distinctive in their construction and societal role.
Traditionally, the construction of mostnihongami hairstyles consisted of two "wings" at the side of the head, curving upwards towards the back of the head to form atopknot orponytail, 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 ofnihongami were hardened and shaped with wax, known asabura, and were styled with specially-carved combs made of eitherbamboo orboxwood, 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.
Nihongami are no longer commonly worn, and today are most often seen onmaiko,geisha andsumo wrestlers. A number of different styles ofnihongami are also worn bycourtesan re-enactors and moderntayū, and many styles once common in theEdo period are seen faithfully reproduced inkabuki plays, which themselves also commonly date to the Edo period. Though some styles ofnihongami are 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.
Many hairstyles now labellednihongami were 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 amongstcourtesans and kabuki actors, soon spread to fashionablemerchants' wives, before becoming a general fashion trend seen throughout Japan.[1]
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. Theshimada became 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 atōrō lantern.[2] Thetōrōbin shimada experienced wide popularity, and was commonly depicted inukiyo-e prints by artists such asUtamaro.
Other hairstyles, such assakkō (先笄),momoware and theyuiwata were also worn by young women; themomoware hairstyle was typically worn by girls during the Edo period, withsakkō being worn by newly married women during the later Edo period andMeiji period.
Historically, traditional hairstylists, known askeppatsu-shi, were almost entirely women,[3] a trend which continued up until the 1970s, when the last hairstylist servicing thetayū inKyoto died, leading to hairstylist Tetsuo Ishihara taking the role.[3]: 2 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 nearOsaka in the mid-19th century, few craftspeople exist to produce traditional combs in the modern day.[4]
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.[citation needed] The hairstyles worn bymaiko also changed following WWII, thoughmaiko continued to mostly use their own hair instead of a wig. Previously,maiko had worn hairstyles relatively similar to theshimada style 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 ofmaiko were 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 andtayū communities.[3]
Though a number of different hairstyles exist, mostnihongami styles follow a relatively similar construction method. Knowledge of the styling methods for as many as 115 different styles ofnihongami survives to the present day.[3]
The hair is first divided into five sections:
Each section is styled towards themage at the top of the head; variations in the volume and shape can denote a different hairstyle entirely.[3] The hair is then styled using traditional boxwood or bamboo combs (known astsuge gushi andtogushi respectively),[4] 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,[3]: 3 before being secured with wire cords known asmottoi and kept in place with hair accessories and combs.[1] Separate hair combs, featuring small, short teeth, are used to gently touch up the hairstyle once styled, keeping it free from dirt and dust.
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 (芸妓島田),geiko shimada (芸子島田) orchū takashimada (中高島田). This style is distinguishable from theshimada that brides wear by its generally flatter and thinner appearance; thebin are smaller and less rounded, themage is placed further back on the head, and thetabo is longer and thinner; themaegami is also typically not as full. Geishakatsura are styled to suit each individual's face, meaning that no two geishakatsura appear alike, whereas bridalshimada are typically rented and pre-styled, leading to less variation than is seen in thekatsura geisha wear.
The style ofshimada worn by older geisha to special events is known as thetsubushi shimada (潰し島田,lit. 'smashedshimada'). This style ofshimada, worn by older women in previous centuries, is the flattest form of theshimada, with themage pushed relatively far back off the head, appearing somewhat squashed with the usually-open loop of themage crushed to form two smaller, tighter loops of hair.
For traditional Japanese weddings, a style ofshimada known as thetakashimada (高島田) orbunkin takashimada (文金高島田) is worn by the bride, which appears extremely similar to theshimada worn by geisha.
Thetakashimada worn by brides is typically a pre-styled wig hired for the day, featuring full, roundedbin, amage set relatively high on the head, a fullermaegami and a shorter, fullertabo at the back. This is usually worn with a set of matching hair accessories, which can be gold, silver, tortoiseshell or faux-tortoiseshell.
Maiko wear 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 bymaiko vary by season and occasion, and are considerably larger than mostkanzashi worn by women. Somenihongami are particular to a certain district or event; for instance,maiko from Gion Kobu wear a special hairstyle for theMiyako Odori.
Typically, the averagemaiko will go through five changes in hairstyle throughout their apprenticeship. These are:
Themage is formed by shaping a typicalshimada-stylemage, before being split into two wings with a long strip of waxed hair. Akanoko dome hair 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. Thewareshinobu is worn for amaiko's formal debut, known asmisedashi, where it is also decorated with formalkanzashi made of tortoiseshell, silver and redmiokuri (dangling silver strips placed underneath themage), and twobira bira ("fluttering" or "dangling")kanzashi.
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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:
Other styles worn bytayū had less-elaborate counterparts commonly worn by townswomen,maiko and women of the samurai class. These included:
Other Japanese hairstyles include:
Media related toTraditional hair and makeup of Japan at Wikimedia Commons