Japanese hairstyle - Nihongami

A general term for hairstyles that have been worn by women in Japan since ancient times. In many cases, hair is tied up with a motoyui (hair tie), and the forelock, sideburns, and topknot are gathered together to create a topknot. Originally, women of nobility wore their hair hanging down, but as this was inconvenient for daily life, they began to tie their hair up and then to wear topknots. Hair oil, which contains a lot of wax, was used to tie the hair up, as a way to prevent fraying. Hair ornaments initially included combs, hairpins, and kanzashi, as well as tegara (hand-attached hairpins), negake (root-attached hairpins), and takenaga (long-haired hairpins). Furthermore, topknots and sideknots were used to express the beauty of Japanese hairstyle, and kamoji (hairpins) were used to style the topknot on top of the head. From the end of the Edo period to around 1877, there were roughly 280 different hairstyles worn by women of all ages, from infants to the elderly. There were also more than 10 different types of Shimada hairstyles. However, as the inconvenience, lack of economy, and difficulty in getting a good night's sleep of Japanese hairstyles became apparent, the Great Japan Women's Hairdressing Improvement Association came up with the hairstyle in 1885 (Meiji 18). As Western clothing became more commonplace and women began to enter the workplace, Japanese hairstyles steadily declined.

[Takeshi Endo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

わが国で古くから女性の間に行われた髪形の総称。その多くは元結(もとゆい)を使って髪を束ねて、前髪、鬢(びん)、髱(たぼ)をとり、それを集めて頭上に髷(まげ)をつくりあげるものである。元来女性は高貴の間では垂髪であったが、日常生活に不便なところから束ね髪となり、髷のある髪へと変わった。結い上げるための髪油も、蝋(ろう)分の多い鬢(びん)つけ油(あぶら)を用いたのは、ほつれを出さないくふうであり、髪飾りとしては最初、櫛(くし)、笄(こうがい)、簪(かんざし)に加えて、手絡(てがら)、根掛(ねが)け、丈長(たけなが)があり、さらに髱差し、鬢張りを用いて日本髪の美しさを表し、また頭上の髷を整えるためにかもじを利用した。日本髪の種類は、幕末から明治10年ごろまでだいたい280数種の髪形が、幼児から老女までに行われた。島田髷にしても10種以上がある。しかしながら、日本髪の不便、不経済、安眠ができないなどの欠点が露呈されて、1885年（明治18）大日本婦人結髪改良会の束髪が生まれ、さらに洋装の日常化および女性の職場進出などに伴って日本髪は衰退の一途をたどっている。

［遠藤　武］

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