Why samurai shave head

Many artists also portrayed the lower class with messy hair back then. Then, what is the function of chonmage? Samurai warriors use kabuto ; a helmet made of iron when fighting, and chonmage was made to keep the kabuto from falling off and to protect the head from sunlights.

This proves Japan has always been an innovative country! In the modern era, chonmage is considered as an old trend, but you can still see this unique hairstyle when watching a sumo match. Sumo wrestlers with higher status usually have oicho-style chonmage, where the ends of the top bonds are shaped like a fan.

If you are interested in trying chonmage hairstyle, how about trying the modern version of it, which is also known as samurai bun hairstyle, which actually looks great if it fits into your face shape. Well, now you know what chonmage is, right? After knowing the history and function of chonmage, are you now interested in trying that hairstyle?

So chonmage is the honor and pride of the samurai's fighting for the monarch. HOME Japanese honourable hairstyle! The origin of samurai's "chonmage". Special Episode: The secret of samurais that are loved despite having no form. Please click here for the 37co MaDeLa's article!

The chonmage hairstyle originated in the Nara period. In the past, this hairstyle was originally intended to hold the samurai helmet kabuto in its place during battles. The shaved pate allows the helmet to fit tightly onto the head. With less hair, the samurai would also not suffer from too much heat on the head when wearing the helmet.

Since the samurai were considered to have high status in society, the chonmage then became a status symbol. By the Edo period, the chonmage hairstyle was considered to be the norm and decent. The neatness of hair was treated to be so important that artists would usually depict people who have been disgraced to have messy hairstyles.