Hello! Glad to meet you again!! It is the blog: How Unique Japan.
This time, we would love to write about the iconic and symbolic hairstyle of the Samurai (or Japanese in the Edo era).
It is about a topknot in Japan, Mage.
The history
Why did such a distinctive hairstyle become famous and standard in ancient Japan?
According to historical theory, the unique hairstyle was born around the end of the 12th century. During that time, Japan was experiencing prolonged civil wars.
So, Many Japanese guys wore armor and fought.
However, the armor had a big problem, especially the helmet. It is HOT!! Because Japan is a humid country. Whenever the soldiers prepared for the war, they struggled badly. (It is not a joke that many soldiers died of heatstroke!)
Thus, the ancient Japanese managed a solution for this. It was shaving the top of the head to cool down. Indeed. It is for ventilation.
It is the reason why the mage was born.
How did they cut and set their hair?
They shaved the upper part of their head and put the hair on the sides and back long. The hair around the side of a head is gathered like a bunch of crops and tied together. The tied hair would then be vertically in the middle of their head.
So, let us add one more unbelievable detail of the Mage topknot. It is how to shave their head.
Do you think they could shave with something sharp, like a knife?
Sorry, you are wrong.
They did not shave. THEY PULL OUT THE HAIR WITH THEIR HANDS FORCEFULLY!
They grabbed their hair and pulled it out until they got the top side of their head furless because there was neither time nor tools to shave in the war zone.
OMG. It sounds so painful.
Fortunately, after the war season was over, many guys were able to use barbers. Of course, barbers used the knives (shavers) for it.
BTW, the bald area on their head is called Sukiyaki. That means it is like a moon.
Yap. It just looks like.
There were some kinds of Mage Topknot
The distinctive symbol quickly gained popularity among Japanese men, who maintained the hairstyle throughout the day.
Because keeping the hairstyle means I am always ready for any battle for honor. Sounds cool.
Then, some types of mage styles were also born.
Interestingly, ancient Japanese expressed their jobs in the Mage style.
Please look under (a few) examples.
- Feudal Lord style – From ancient times, Japan has had many prefectures. Each prefecture has had a feudal lord. So, this is the lord’s hairstyle they used to express the top rank of their territory with it.
- Townspeople style – This was the popular hairstyle for the Edo citizens in towns. Guys working in business liked to set their hair in that style.
- Police force style – Many samurai and police officers set their hair tightly than the style of townspeople. It made their faces firm.
- Ronin (Fired samurai) style – It is the style of Ronin (Fired Samurai) who stopped working for the feudal lord. It looks messy because he quit taking care of his hairstyle.
- Sumo wrestler style – Any sumo wrestler takes. It has lasted even now.
- Prisoner’s style – If someone was a criminal, their Mage topknot (tied hair) was cut/taken off by the police officer when arrested. It made them look poor.
To close
There were other styles of Topknot/Mage. That meant the hairstyle was popular at that time.
If you have the chance to watch a Japanese drama about the samurai era, pay close attention to their hairstyles. You might notice some differences between their Topknot (Mage).
Thank you so much for reading this article! Are you still interested in something unique in Japan? If you are, please feel free to visit the front page of our blog!
Now, we have more articles separated into four. They are Japanese lifestyle, Food, the Edo era, and Religions.
Alright! See you for the next article!