In the end of Edo period, western people coming from abroad to Japan were shocked by the hairstyle of Japanese men.
“What? They are putting pistols on their head!”
They have their head shaved neatly, which is called “Sakayaki” and black slender objects put in the middle of their of “sakayaki” which was really freaky enough for every single foreigners coming from abroad to see that hairstyle as if they equip guns on the top middle of head at sight.
How did people develop this hairstyle?
Where “chon-mage” comes from?
The chonmage (丁髷) is a form of Japanese traditional topknot haircut worn by men.
You probably come up with a picture of Samurai in Edo era when you see this hairstyle but it hasn’t come into fashion yet when the start of Edo era. Originally, its roots comes from Heian nobles(平安貴族) which existed in from 794 to 1185.
Chinese culture of wearing hat among nobles was introduced in Japan in Asuka(飛鳥時代) era (592 to 710).
This culture spread throughout Japan among “Heian nobles” and its shape and its manufacturing process evolved as distinct Japanese style as time went by and started to call it as “Eboshi”
This black hat “Enboshi” was formed its shape by heavy lacquer, which caused the head so sweaty and very itchy.
To avoid head sweat, “Motodori “( (髻 )that is a hairstyle binding a bunch of hair on top of the head ) was developed, which is original form of “Chon-mage” (丁髷)
It’s like ponytail and the remaining hair is bound on top of the head.
Hairstyle was gradually formed by people caring for their itchy sweat heads wearing helmets
After Kamakura shogunate perished, at the period of Muromachi (室町時代)when “Ōnin War (応仁の乱)” broke out over the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (南北朝時代 ), and the system of public lands and private estates called a “shoen koryo sei(荘園公領制)” (which is the social structure constituted of shoen and koryo units) collapsed, Japan plunged into the maelstrom of war.
As the time of “gekokujo(下克上)” (an inverted social order where the lowly reigned over the elite) started, old powers brought to ruin and and new powers of warring lords (戦国大名) were emerged out at the same time not only samurai but also farmer, tradesman started to apply for a number of battles with swords, armors and helmets.
Samurai : “Hey may! you know , when I joined a battle on the other day my head was so sweaty and intensely itching “
Farmer : “I think you’d better shave your head.”
Samurai “ You really think it works for sure? Well I’ll give it a try.”
I’m not quite sure weather or not there were conversation like this between samurai and farmer but they shaved up their heads as one of the solution for itchiness and sweat on the head that suffered them in the a battlefield.
This is the origin of ,what we call, Chonmage that is a hairstyle shaving up on the top middle of the head and binding a bunch of the remaining hair on top of it.
The reason for setting Chonmage is to protect their head from sweat and itchiness.
In the Sengoku period, this hairstyle was completely fixed among provincial Daimyo.
However, Chonmage style was only for wartime. They didn’t shave up their head in peacetime.
In Edo era, Chonmage is Samurai’s grooming to be neat and tidy.
In Edo era, people hardly experienced war and Samurais lost their position to take active as warriors part in battlefields, who grew out uncared hair every day because of peacetime. This samurai’s dirty look came to be disliked by people. So Samurais started making it a rule to shave their head and bind the remaining hair on top of it on a daily basis to improve likability to people.
This is the story of how Chonmage had been established among people since Muromachi era.
Chonmage became the big trend of fashion among people in Edo era
Samurais’ changing up their look triggered for this hairstyle to become widespread among citizen
People who didn’t like the strictly neat and stiff style Chonmage as Samurais set enjoyed their own unique Chonmage as a fashion
So what types of hairstyle was in fashion those days.
Ichomage (銀杏髷) is much closer to Chonmage which you probably imagine. Edo people cared much about their hairdo so that barber shop was as successful as it became a place for social gatherings.
Fashionable hairstyle seemed to be different depending on the occupation.
For example, tradesmen liked wearing a small topknot not to show coercive pressure to people because they needed to serve visitors. In contrast to this, craftsmen liked wearing thick and short topknot.
Chonmage became big trend changing Edo people’s sense of fashion though, this topknot hairstyle fell away into disuse all too soon in the Meiji period.
The end of Chonmage(topknot)
Sanpatsu-dattokatte-rei (散髪脱刀勝手令) which prohibited citizens from wearing swords (but allowed samurai families (shizoku) to wear swords) and ordered people to have their hair short was issued as proclamation by the Grand Council of State. This is the reason that topknot style fell away into disuse all too soon in the Meiji period.
After this order was issued by the Meiji government, Meiji emperor took his initiative to cut off his top knot and gradually people changed their hairstyle as the government required.
Modern Chonmage
In recent times, chonmage can be seen in Sumo Wrestlers in Japan. The role of chonmage that sumo wrestler is required to set is to distinguish their rank at sight by their hairstyle. Sumo Wrestlers ranked in more than juryo (second-division sumo wrestler) are allowed to wear Oicho style Chonmage which features a topknot that is splayed out like a fan.
In Kyoto, you could find taxi driver wearing Chonmage style topknot, who liven up Kyoto area. The reason he changed his hairstyle was transforming himself into fleeing samurai to encourage people who got depressed by the incident of catastrophic flood in Pakistan 5 years ago when he was traveling around the world.
People encouraged by him got their second wind and started to be interested in Japanese culture. This happening made up his mind to change for Chonmage hairstyle and introduce Japanese culture to the world.
If you you find this guy in Kyoto while you visit to Kyoto, you should ask him to take a picture, which uniquely will help you to bring back your memories of your trip in Japan after going back to your country.
