A Brief Introduction of Kanzashi*

Kanzashi are hair ornaments typically used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. Kanzashi first appeared when women changed from traditional taregami hairstyle where the hair was kept straight and long often reaching the floor and beyond if in the noble and the elite class. This evolved later due to growth of the culture and changes in style into the more elaborate nihongami hairstyles that featured hair meticulously sculpted and pinned up on the head vis a vis updo style that was often oiled and held in place with wax. Kanzashi became more widely popular during the Edo period when artisans began to produce more finely crafted products due to more materials, techniques, and freedom to express different styles seen emerging at the time.

In our current era Kanzashi are most commonly worn by those who frequently wear kimonos for occupational reasons such as the geisha, tayu, yujo or for an outfit for use in traditional Japanese hobbies as worn by adepts in Japanese tea ceremony, traditional music, and ikebana. They are also frequently worn for special events and celebrations such as at weddings and formal occasions, as well as holidays such as Coming of Age (seijin no hi) day, New Year (shogatsu), and Seven-Five-Three (shichigosan).

Kanzashi are born from a very diverse array of materials, the most common being lacquered wood, gold and silver plated metal, tortoiseshell, silk, and plastic. Certain materials were more popular during different eras, an example being tortoiseshell, which is now banned from being created using actual tortoise shells due to protection being placed on the turtles themselves - which has made the original antique kanzashi of this type quite a find. Others such as hana kanzashi, made from silk, still try to keep with the traditional symbols and styles that originated them, but often you'll find just as many modern twists on the old classics leading to an ever changing array of styles.

Just as there are many varieties for the types of kanzashi, there are many more styles of wearing them - whether in a traditional sense or with a more modern flair. Many traditional Japanese hairstyles are quite complex, but for our discussion on kanzashi we'll focus on the traditional hairstyles worn by those whos lives are most affected by the daily wear and seasonal changes of kanzashi - the maiko. While nobles, upper class, and our now modern day adepts of traditional Japanese cultural arts will often be seen sporting kanzashi according to season, their rules aren’t nearly as strict as those adhered to by the maiko as to what is proper to wear.

As you may or may not already know, maiko are young women in training to become a full fledged geisha. These are traditional female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as conversing, playing classical music, and many forms of dance. This learning stage varies in length according to the okiya (the geisha house they have become a part of) and the region in which the maiko is training, but generally lasts six months, such as in Tokyo, or a longer duration of five years as seen in Kyoto.

While going through this training stage the maiko wears very elaborate kimonos and just as elaborate hairstyles which are accompanied by many different colorful kanzashi. The hairstyles of geisha have varied through history, but the most commonly worn today by geisha is known as the 'shimada' style which spawned from the 17th century. The apprentice geisha usually wear more numerous and elaborate kanzashi than older geisha and progress through several hairstyles where the kanzashi must be worn in a set way. While in this learning stage, they must also follow the strict seasonal rules for kimono, as must their kanzashi, creating quite a number of beautiful kanzashi creations and outfits.

You will notice that in the seventeenth century and after the Meiji Restoration period, kanzashi hair-combs and pins were often large and conspicuous, generally more ornate for higher-class women featuring many detailed traditional symbols. Following the Meiji Restoration and into our current modern era, smaller and less conspicuous hair-combs & pins became more popular. Although, as expected, there continues to be some styles that take the level of detail to the extreme or styles that may seem to be quite out there.

Kanzashi continue to play an important part in traditional Japanese culture, in that they are a reflection of true Japanese aesthetic. Their creation is a valued handicraft and art, their implementation in kimono kitsuke (kimono wearing) is highly valued, and their close bond and inspiration from nature reflects the style of our times as well as those of the past. Due to their versatile nature, I truly believe that kanzashi in all forms will be around for years to come just as the traditional kimono is preserved and idolized today.

Author: Skye Altamirano
Date: February 2008
Contact: tantaga [at] tantaga.com
Bibliography & Sources

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 * More to be added as more is researched. Feel free to e-mail me if you wish to add to this, know of interesting sources of information, or if the article is in need of a correction.