Topknot

Anyone knows who to do the hairstyle of the Samurai?Couldn't find anything.
Thanks.

Even actors on TV wear wigs if they are doing a period drama. The only people I know of who sport real samurai 'dos are higher ranking sumo wrestlers. I imagine the market for that type of styling skill is ver, very, very, small so I guess you will have a hard time finding anyone. Good luck though...

I am also very interested in that hairstyle. Being a girl, I start with a ponytail and use a second elastic band to create a loop. (A small one though) Because I have long hair I have adjusted it so that extra hair hangs down from the back.

The reason why the actors ware wigs is simple. Otherwise they are obliged to rase the top of the head. The hairstyle of somo-tori is done by Tokoyama, hair-stylist of sumo. But this heirstyle is nothing to do with that of samurai. There were 4 casts, samurai, rice farmers, craft makers and merchants in feodal era. Each cast (and men/women) had its hairstyle. Samurai is VANISHED 150 years ago.

Dude, the top knot is the most important thing for a Samurai, besides his honor,sword,and duty. You should not try to ridicule the Samurai. I highly respect the Samurai class,and you should to.They are very brave and honorable. I don't mean to be hostile but please,if your not,your not....

That they disappeared 150 years ago. In 7 years in rural Japan, I have never seen anyone wearing the topnot, except on TV and Sumo as mentioned in an earlier response.

Yes, the Samurai are cool. But they are historically cool. The Meiji restoration went to great effort to break down the class structure of Feudal Japan. Some remnants may remain here and there, but I haven't seen any. As to the origional question? No Samurai, means No one to cut their hair. A hairstylist for a movie/tv company might be able to do it. You might try there.

who did make knots for them - of course, barbers! Otherwise they had haircut by themselves or with some family members' help.

This is not a silly joke or anything, just the fact - professional topknot stylists are called Tokoyama, and the profession still exists in the field of sumo.

For example, following website is a list of Tokoyama doing knots for wrestlers:

http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/ozumo_meikan/kyokai_in/tokoyama/tokoyama.php

As mentioned earlier the Topknot is a hairsyle of Honor, I do wear a topknot, my Master taught me how when I achieved my 4th Dan in Kendo (Japanese Fencing). Do not wear this style of hair until you truly know what it means and follow what it represents. I often get criticised for being a white-westerner wearing an asian haircut, but unlike other people who wear this style I follow what it represents, and I hope this deters you enough not to start sporting this hairstyle.

I wonder how a topknot would look if you were in Japan....how old are you?? Regardless if you are Yon-Dan....I think you would be looked at oddly...even Japanese Hachi-dan don't where it..I respect your style and way of life however.

hey, if you know how to do it, could you post it

Shaving the top of the head, something often believed to be an indicator of samurai status, was more widespread than often realized. Commoners farmers, merchants, townsmen - all sported shaved pates and topknots. The fashion certainly originated with the samurai, but it caught on with the populace at large. It's origin is believed to have something to do with wearing helmets so often that a shaved head was simply more comfortable. Shaving the head was by no means universal, and not as common in the sixteenth century as it would be later. One thing that was constant, however, was the wearing of a top knot. Everybody, except the Buddhist clergy - wore their hair long, and caught it up in a queue at the point of the back of the head. Common ways to wear the motodori (topknot) included simply tying cord around the base for a few inches, and letting the rest fan out above the cord; this was called tea whisk style, for its resemblance to that utensil. Other methods included folding the knot forwards on the head.

The Samuria as a ruling class of Japan are extinct. But the Samuria are not. Thier beliefs carry on. I wear a topknot, but study not Kendo. I study Jujitsu, but this matters very little. The martial aspect was not the most important part of samurai, it was subordinated by self-discipline, integrity, wisdom, and contemplation of self and the world. These things allow a samurai to reach high levels of martial accomplishment, so the actual martialiality of Samurai was a side affect of thier beliefs. I do not claim to be Samurai, i follow thier teachings and wear the topknot to reflect my seeking of personal perfection. For those who say the topknot is a matter of honer and say do not wear it. Should rethink this position.
It is very much overly proud to make such a statement, which goes against the tenents of Kendo to begin with. The Samurai will never be truelly extinct, there will always be seekers, and for these seekers I say wear the topknot with pride yes, but with integrity foremost.

I am in karate and would like to know how to do a topknot. I would not wear it all the time, but I would consider it part of my schooling. Does anyone have any good pictures of topknots? I can not even find those!

do a google image search for chonmage - that is the japanese name for a topknot.

Ah, thanks. That turned up lots of stuff.

bonjour je fais une recherche sur le coiffure tradionnelle japonais je voulais savoir si kelkun connaissan les coiffure traditionnelle homme et ki me dise les quelle et leur historique merci bien a vous

Very interesting responses to the hair and samurai. I think the world does not understand the importance of hair. Back in the days, people would all have long hair, in fact in some countries a nationwide punishment for breaking the law was to shave the person's hair. When Gengis Khan could not conquer China's army, he went to a spiritual advisor who said "shave of their hair and slit their third eye points (in between your eyebrows)" Ofcourse, Gengis khan never had to fight the chinese army again!

I am a sikh, you can do some research on us, we wear turbans to protect our hair, but we also tie it in a topknot and hair is the reason for why the khalsa army was undefeated during the mughal reign. in 1600-1700s. Hair was given to you by God, why cut it?

Juts out of interest, Mr. Singh, do Sikh women cut their hair? I have spent some time in Northern India and was under the impression that they do.

Hi,

No Sikh women do not cut their hair. like all practices you have practicing sikhs and non practicing sikhs, non-practicing do cut their hair even men.

Hope this answers ur question, how was ur trip in india?

also some women also wear turbans, majority of kundalini teachers throughout the world follow the sikh dharma:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/28/business/28sikh.html?_r=1&...

http://www.eomega.org/omega/faculty/viewPhoto/985bf3cfb36df4...

Also the khalsa's warrior uniform known as bana

http://www.mrsikhnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/IMG_7771...

mr Singh reply is very informative. Many younger westerners forget that long hair was common for caucasian males until the late 19th century. The male aristocrats wore very fancy wigs, average people wore their own hair long and tied up in various ways or cut at shoulder length. North American natives also had long hair. Remember Samson? long hair was a symbol of maleness and power and cutting it, as Delilah did, was a castration. Short hair for men in Western Europe started with the Prussian army in the second 1/2 of 19th centuy. Very short or shaved hair makes everyone look the same which is the goal of an army, religion, or even government: to destroy or at least reduce to the max what makes each person unique. what matters is the group (I was drafted in the army so I some experience)
We have many Sihks in my town and I see quite a few at the gym and I must say, even as a man, that I find their long hair very attractive. Not in a sexual way but in a powerful sense. The young Sihks guys in my gym all look very secure, confident, and yet gentle, likely a byproduct of their religion.