nihongami

File:Nihongami-wig-2022-3-15.ogv

File:Traditional Japanese women's hairstyle 'Yui-wata'.JPG

Many hairstyles now labelled {{transliteration|ja|nihongami}} 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 amongst courtesans and kabuki actors, soon spread to fashionable merchants' wives, before becoming a general fashion trend seen throughout Japan.{{cite book|last1=Sherrow|first1=Victoria|title=Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History|date=2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780313331459|page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofha0000sher/page/222 222]|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofha0000sher|url-access=registration}}

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 the {{transliteration|ja|shimada}}, which was commonly worn by girls in their late teenage years. The {{transliteration|ja|shimada}} became the basis for a number of popular hairstyles, such as the {{transliteration|ja|tōrōbin shimada}} ({{lit|lantern {{transliteration|ja|shimada}}}}), 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 a {{transliteration|ja|tōrō}} lantern.{{cite web|title=Description of Japanese Hairstyles (日本髪の解説)|url=http://www.geocities.jp/hairheart1/newpage151.html|access-date=2014-10-06|language=Japanese|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224225224/http://www.geocities.jp/hairheart1/newpage151.html|archive-date=2016-02-24}} The {{transliteration|ja|tōrōbin shimada}} experienced wide popularity, and was commonly depicted in ukiyo-e prints by artists such as Utamaro.

Other hairstyles, such as {{nihongo||先笄|sakkō}}, {{transliteration|ja|momoware}} and the {{transliteration|ja|yuiwata}} were also worn by young women; the {{transliteration|ja|momoware}} hairstyle was typically worn by girls during the Edo period, with {{transliteration|ja|sakkō}} being worn by newly married women during the later Edo period and Meiji period.

Historically, traditional hairstylists, known as {{transliteration|ja|keppatsu-shi}}, were almost entirely women,{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6563-2004Aug16.html |title=The Geisha Stylist Who Let His Hair Down |last=Faiola |first=Anthony |date=17 August 2004 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=16 July 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200716094300/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6563-2004Aug16.html |archive-date=16 July 2020}} a trend which continued up until the 1970s, when the last hairstylist servicing the {{transliteration|ja|tayū}} in Kyoto died, leading to hairstylist Tetsuo Ishihara taking the role.{{r|Geisha Stylist|p=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 near Osaka in the mid-19th century, few craftspeople exist to produce traditional combs in the modern day.

During and after WWII, wigs (known as {{transliteration|ja|katsura}}) 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|date=October 2021}} The hairstyles worn by {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} also changed following WWII, though {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} continued to mostly use their own hair instead of a wig. Previously, {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} had worn hairstyles relatively similar to the {{transliteration|ja|shimada}} 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 of {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} 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 and {{transliteration|ja|tayū}} communities.

Though a number of different hairstyles exist, most {{transliteration|ja|nihongami}} styles follow a relatively similar construction method. Knowledge of the styling methods for as many as 115 different styles of {{transliteration|ja|nihongami}} survives to the present day.

The hair is first divided into five sections:

1. The front 'bangs' (in British English 'fringe') section {{nihongo||前髪|maegami}}
2. The two side wings, or {{nihongo||鬢|bin}}
3. The bun/topknot section, called the {{nihongo||髷|mage}}
4. The nape section, which forms a long loop of hair underneath the topknot, called the {{nihongo||髱|tabo}}

Each section is styled towards the {{transliteration|ja|mage}} at 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 as {{transliteration|ja|tsuge gushi}} and {{transliteration|ja|togushi}} respectively),{{cite web |url=https://traditionalkyoto.com/shopping/combs/ |title=Combs |website=traditionalkyoto.com |publisher=Traditional Kyoto |access-date=16 July 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200617100609/https://traditionalkyoto.com/shopping/combs/ |archive-date=17 June 2020}} 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,{{r|Geisha Stylist|p=3}} before being secured with wire cords known as {{transliteration|ja|mottoi}} and 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.

Post-WWII, geisha began to wear wigs (known as {{transliteration|ja|katsura}}) instead of styling their own hair, a trend which continues to this day. Geisha generally wear {{transliteration|ja|shimada}}-style wigs known as {{nihongo||芸妓島田|geigi shimada}}, {{nihongo||芸子島田|geiko shimada}} or {{nihongo||中高島田|chū takashimada}}. This style is distinguishable from the {{transliteration|ja|shimada}} that brides wear by its generally flatter and thinner appearance; the {{transliteration|ja|bin}} are smaller and less rounded, the {{transliteration|ja|mage}} is placed further back on the head, and the {{transliteration|ja|tabo}} is longer and thinner; the {{transliteration|ja|maegami}} is also typically not as full. Geisha {{transliteration|ja|katsura}} are styled to suit each individual's face, meaning that no two geisha {{transliteration|ja|katsura}} appear alike, whereas bridal {{transliteration|ja|shimada}} are typically rented and pre-styled, leading to less variation than is seen in the {{transliteration|ja|katsura}} geisha wear.

The style of {{transliteration|ja|shimada}} worn by older geisha to special events is known as the {{nihongo3|{{lit|smashed {{transliteration|ja|shimada}}}}|潰し島田|tsubushi shimada}}. This style of {{transliteration|ja|shimada}}, worn by older women in previous centuries, is the flattest form of the {{transliteration|ja|shimada}}, with the {{transliteration|ja|mage}} pushed relatively far back off the head, appearing somewhat squashed with the usually-open loop of the {{transliteration|ja|mage}} crushed to form two smaller, tighter loops of hair.

For traditional Japanese weddings, a style of {{transliteration|ja|shimada}} known as the {{nihongo||高島田|takashimada}} or {{nihongo||文金高島田|bunkin takashimada}} is worn by the bride, which appears extremely similar to the {{transliteration|ja|shimada}} worn by geisha.

The {{transliteration|ja|takashimada}} worn by brides is typically a pre-styled wig hired for the day, featuring full, rounded {{transliteration|ja|bin}}, a {{transliteration|ja|mage}} set relatively high on the head, a fuller {{transliteration|ja|maegami}} and a shorter, fuller {{transliteration|ja|tabo}} at the back. This is usually worn with a set of matching hair accessories, which can be gold, silver, tortoiseshell or faux-tortoiseshell.

{{transliteration|ja|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 by {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} vary by season and occasion, and are considerably larger than most {{transliteration|ja|kanzashi}} worn by women. Some {{transliteration|ja|nihongami}} are particular to a certain district or event; for instance, {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} from Gion Kobu wear a special hairstyle for the Miyako Odori.

Typically, the average {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} will go through five changes in hairstyle throughout their apprenticeship. These are:

• {{nihongo3||勝山|Katsuyama}} – the hairstyle worn by every senior {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} during the Gion Matsuri. The {{transliteration|ja|mage}} resembles the {{transliteration|ja|yakko shimada}} in both shape and construction, featuring the same {{transliteration|ja|kanoko}} in either red, pink or blue (for very senior maiko) tied under the {{transliteration|ja|mage}}. On either side of the {{transliteration|ja|mage}}, {{transliteration|ja|bon-ten}} (silver flower {{transliteration|ja|kanzashi}}) are placed in the gap formed by the {{transliteration|ja|mage}} itself. It is said that this hairstyle was created using the {{transliteration|ja|oiran katsuyama}} hairstyle from the Edo period.
• {{nihongo||おふく|Ofuku}} – the default hairstyle for senior {{transliteration|ja|maiko}}. Like {{transliteration|ja|momoware}}, {{transliteration|ja|ofuku}} also appears similar to {{transliteration|ja|wareshinobu}}, however, instead of a bun split into two equally-sized wings, the {{transliteration|ja|mage}} is left unsplit, with a {{transliteration|ja|tegara}} (triangle of typically {{transliteration|ja|shibori}}-dyed silk) pinned to the outside, forming a triangle of silk from the base of the {{transliteration|ja|mage}} that is pinned to the centre. As {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} graduate in seniority, the colour of the {{transliteration|ja|tegara}} changes from red, then to pink, and then finally different colours.
• {{nihongo||先笄|Sakkō}} – the last hairstyle worn by {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} before graduating to geishahood. {{transliteration|ja|Sakkō}} is worn for two weeks before graduation (known as {{transliteration|ja|erikae}}). It is the most elaborate and expensive of {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} hairstyles, decorated with formal tortoiseshell {{transliteration|ja|kanzashi}}, and a unique {{transliteration|ja|sakkō kanzashi}} designed by the {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} herself, featuring auspicious animals such as cranes and tortoises. The {{transliteration|ja|mage}} is tied in a complex manner, and features a hanging strip of waxed hair; the night before a {{transliteration|ja|maiko}}'s {{transliteration|ja|erikae}}, the proprietress of the {{transliteration|ja|okiya}} and the {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} and geisha of the house cuts the strip of hair and the ties holding the hairstyle together.
• {{nihongo||割れしのぶ|Wareshinobu}} – the hairstyle worn by junior {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} for the first 2–3 years of their apprenticeship. The {{transliteration|ja|wareshinobu}} appears structurally similar to the {{transliteration|ja|momoware}} hairstyle, with the {{transliteration|ja|wareshinobu}} hairstyle featuring a flatter {{transliteration|ja|mage}}, {{transliteration|ja|bin}} that taper towards the bottom, a smaller, chunkier {{transliteration|ja|tabo}} and a {{transliteration|ja|maegami}} that lies further towards the back of the head in its fullness.

The {{transliteration|ja|mage}} is formed by shaping a typical {{transliteration|ja|shimada}}-style {{transliteration|ja|mage}}, before being split into two wings with a long strip of waxed hair. A {{transliteration|ja|kanoko dome}} hair ornament is placed in the middle of the wings, before two padded rolls of {{transliteration|ja|shibori}}-dyed red silk – known as a {{transliteration|ja|kanoko}} – are inserted at the top and bottom, giving the appearance of a doughnut-shaped red ring with two wings of hair on either side. The {{transliteration|ja|wareshinobu}} is worn for a {{transliteration|ja|maiko}}'s formal debut, known as {{transliteration|ja|misedashi}}, where it is also decorated with formal {{transliteration|ja|kanzashi}} made of tortoiseshell, silver and red {{transliteration|ja|miokuri}} (dangling silver strips placed underneath the {{transliteration|ja|mage}}), and two {{transliteration|ja|bira bira}} ("fluttering" or "dangling") {{transliteration|ja|kanzashi}}.

• {{nihongo||奴島田|Yakko shimada}} – the hairstyle worn by senior {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} for {{transliteration|ja|Shigyoshiki}} (the start of the new year), {{transliteration|ja|Hassaku}} (summer Thanksgiving in Gion Kobu only), and for performing tea ceremony at {{transliteration|ja|odori}} (dances). The {{transliteration|ja|yakko shimada}} is constructed similarly to the basic {{transliteration|ja|shimada}} style, with a two-part {{transliteration|ja|mage}} at the back, identifiable for this style by the string of beads wrapped around its centre and the single-bead {{transliteration|ja|kanzashi}} placed in the middle of this string, known collectively as the {{transliteration|ja|hatsuyori}}. In winter, the {{transliteration|ja|hatsuyori}} is typically coral with a single jade bead {{transliteration|ja|kanzashi}}, and in summer, the colours reverse to be mainly jade with a single coral bead. The {{transliteration|ja|yakko shimada}} also features a long, padded tube of silk (a {{transliteration|ja|kanoko}}) tied through and underneath the {{transliteration|ja|mage}}, usually in red silk, though it can be a number of colours.

File:Oiran at Asakusa (DORONKO) 002.jpg

Historically, {{transliteration|ja|oiran}} (all high-class courtesans) and {{transliteration|ja|tayū}} (the highest rank of courtesan) wore a number of different, typically elaborate and heavily-dressed styles of {{transliteration|ja|nihongami}}. These included, but were not limited to:

• {{transliteration|ja|Kinshōjo}}, which incorporated elements of the {{transliteration|ja|katsuyama}} and {{transliteration|ja|ofuku}} hairstyles in the {{transliteration|ja|maegami}} and {{transliteration|ja|mage}} respectively
• {{transliteration|ja|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
• {{transliteration|ja|Nageshimada}}, a type of {{transliteration|ja|shimada}} appearing similar to the {{transliteration|ja|yugao}} with a simply-formed {{transliteration|ja|mage}} and accessorised with a smaller, colourful cord tied around it; historical versions of the {{transliteration|ja|nageshimada}} appear to show a more elongated {{transliteration|ja|tabo}} and more prominently-looped {{transliteration|ja|mage}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Onna Genroku}} and {{transliteration|ja|Otoko Genroku}}, both featuring prominent and intricately-styled {{transliteration|ja|mage}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Tayū sakkō}}, similar to the {{transliteration|ja|sakkō}} worn by senior {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} and differing in the longer, looser {{transliteration|ja|tabo}} and in the style of {{transliteration|ja|kanoko}} used
• {{transliteration|ja|Yugao}}, named after one of the heroines in the Tale of Genji, featuring wide {{transliteration|ja|bin}} and a gold cord wrapped around the intricately-styled {{transliteration|ja|mage}}

Other styles worn by {{transliteration|ja|tayū}} had less-elaborate counterparts commonly worn by townswomen, {{transliteration|ja|maiko}} and women of the samurai class. These included:

• {{transliteration|ja|Kansuzuma}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Ohatsu}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Oshidori}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Osome}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Tachibana}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Tachibana kuzushi}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Tsubushi shimada}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Wareshinobu}}

Other Japanese hairstyles include:

• {{transliteration|ja|Bunkin shimada}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Kikugasane}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Mae ware}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Oshidori no hina}}
• {{transliteration|ja|Oshiyun}}

• Hairstyles of Japanese women
• List of hairstyles

{{reflist}}

• {{Commonscatinline|Traditional hair and makeup of Japan}}
• [http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~ukiyo26/onna_4.html How to style {{lang|ja-Latn|tōrō shimada}}] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Human hair}}

Category:Geisha

Category:Hairstyles by culture

Category:Japanese words and phrases