Hair is usually a woman’s prized possession, their crowning glory. There’s a saying in Japan that goes “A woman’s hair is her life.” (Kami wa onna no inochi）. A women’s hair and how she maintained it expressed different meanings. For example in ancient times, how a woman stylized her hair, showed people if the woman was in a relationship or if she was single. Even today, when a woman has a bad break up, sometimes they will cut their hair short to cut ends (pun intended) with that relationship.
On September 23rd there was a Shinto ceremony called ‘Kushi Matsuri’ (comb festival) at the Yasui Konpiragu shrine in the Gion district. The ritual honors decorative combs used in traditional Japanese hair styling. Back in ancient times, a woman’s hair ornament and comb symbolized a woman’s class, religion and character.
Many women with elegant traditional attire paraded their decorative comb and their elaborate hair styles. With beautiful women everywhere, the ceremony was a cameraman’s dream. 100’s of enthusiastic photographers clicked away as the women walked around the hustle and bustle of Gion.
AloJapan.com