Why Did Samurais Have This Haircut?
Have you ever wondered what was going on with the hair that samurai wore? Chonmage (丁髷 in Japanese) is a traditional Japanese haircut popularly worn during the Edo Era (1603–1868) by samurais. This haircut shaves the hair on the front and top of one’s head and only leaves the hair in the rear part of their head, tying it in a knot. How did this bizarre haircut become a staple for samurais and what is its history?
Naming
Chonmage is 丁髷 in Japanese because the haircut looks like the character 丁 (Chon) from above. Combined with 髷 (Mage), which means a bun type hair knot, the name Chonmage was given to the hairstyle.
History
The chonmage was most likely started in the Heian Period (794 -1185) of Japan. During this time, most of Japan’s population resided in the southern part of the island where the climate was hot and humid during the summer. This was especially irritating for soldiers who had to fight in heavy armor. The armor that these soldiers wore was around 70 pounds in weight. Fighting in heavy armor during a hot and humid day could exhaust any soldier due to high body temperatures. As a solution to this problem, soldiers started shaving the top of their heads to stay cool and kept the hair…
