Kanzashi

are hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. The term refers to a wide variety of accessories, including long, rigid hairpins, barrettes, fabric flowers and fabric hair ties.
In the English-speaking world, the term is typically used to refer to hair ornaments made from layers of folded cloth used to form flowers, or the technique of folding used to make the flowers.

History

were first used in Japan during the Jōmon period. During that time, the wearing of a single thin rod or stick was considered to hold powers to ward off evil spirits, with people wearing them in their hair for protective purposes. The Jōmon period also saw the introduction of hair combs.
During the Nara period, a variety of Chinese cultural aspects and items were brought to Japan through mutual trade and envoys. The items brought back from China included Chinese hairpins, amongst other hair ornaments such as Chinese combs.
During the Heian period, hairstyles shifted from being worn up to being worn long, and tied back relatively low. During this time period, the term began to be used as a general term for any hair ornament, including combs and hairpins.
During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, hairstyles changed from the style, to the wider variety of styles worn up – predecessors of modern styles, which made more use of hair ornaments.
came into wider use during the Edo period, when hairstyles became larger and more complicated, using a larger number of ornaments. Artisans began to produce more finely crafted products, including some hair ornaments that could be used as defensive weapons. During the latter part of the Edo period, the craftsmanship of is considered to have reached a high point, with a number of styles and designs created, many of which persist to the modern day.

Modern day

In the present day, traditional Japanese hairstyles are not commonly worn, typically being worn only by geisha,, sumo wrestlers, brides, modern and re-enactors, with both geisha, brides, and, and some apprentice geisha in some regions of Japan, using pre-styled wigs instead of their own hair.
As such, few people wear with traditional hairstyles. However, can be, and still are, worn with everyday hairstyles as simple hair accessories; there are a number of varieties and styles of wearing, with modern varieties worn as hairclips both common and popular. In 1982, were officially designated as a traditional Japanese handcraft in the Tokyo region.

Craftsmanship

Professional craftspeople typically undergo a five- to 10-year traditional apprenticeship to learn the trade. Similarly to the combs used to create hairstyles, only a small number of traditionally-trained craftspeople are left practising the trade within Japan; from 2002 to 2010, their estimated number in the country decreased from 15 to five.
However, the technique of petal-folded fabric has become a popular craft amongst hobbyists, with a number of books, kits and lessons available on the subject, from sources such as the Tsumami Kanzashi Museum in Shinjuku. Some hobbyists have bypassed the traditional apprenticeship system to establish themselves as independent artisans of in Japan.

Types

are fabricated from a wide range of materials, such as lacquered wood, gold and silver plated metal, tortoiseshell, silk, and recently, plastic. Early plastic made out of materials such as bakelite are considered to be highly valued as collectables.
There are a number of basic styles, with the wear of each typically and traditionally following seasonal arrangements; however, in the present day, the use of seasonal is observed only by geisha, their apprentices,, re-enactors and in the costumes for kabuki plays. The use of to finely indicate age and status is a tradition also only held by geisha and.
For, the size, shape, variety and number of can indicate seniority and the stage of apprenticeship, used in tangent with a number of different hairstyles throughout the apprenticeship. Though geisha also wear seasonal, this is typically confined to a change in the colour of.

Basic styles

Despite seasonal and occasional variation, most that are not considered to be fall into one of a number of basic shapes and appearances.

Name	Photo	Description	Details
		Two-pronged with a rounded plate at the tip. Metal strips are attached to its edge by small rings that move independently of the main hairpin.	Some feature bells or long chains of additional silk flowers known as, and most have a stamped on the flattened end.
		Fan-shaped, stamped with the of the wearer.	are typically worn by.
		Two-piece stick-shaped featuring a design on each end, which tend to be wider than the centre. resemble sheathed swords, with one end being removable in order for it to be placed in the hairstyle.	are commonly made of tortoiseshell, lacquered wood, ceramics or metal, and are often sold as a set with an accompanying comb.
		Comb-shaped, typically rounded or rectangular, and made of similar materials to.	may be inlaid with mother of pearl or gilded, with most of the design placed on the wide "handle" portion, though sometimes extending down into the teeth of the comb itself. are usually placed at the front of the bun in traditional Japanese hairstyles. They commonly come in matching sets with.
		decorated with folded silk flowers.	are popular as an informal variety.
		Single-pronged hairpin style decorated with a single coloured bead on the end.	are commonly made of semi-precious stones such as jade or coral, or may be made of -dyed fabric. Traditionally, red were worn in the winter months, and green were worn in summer.
		Two-pronged with a rounded, flattened end, worn as a hairpin in the back of a traditional hairstyle.	Commonly made of wood, resin or metal, are commonly decorated with lacquer, gilded, inlaid with precious metals, or – in the case of metal – have a filigree-style carved design.
		Brightly-coloured fabric ties, sometimes padded, made of unpressed -dyed fabric. are usually tied around portions of the bun at the back of a traditional hairstyle.	are often pink or red. Non- varieties using crepe are also seen.

Other styles

A number of other styles of also exist, though these are typically only worn for specific, uncommon hairstyles, such as by in certain geisha districts or by characters in some kabuki plays.

Name	Photo	Description	Details
		Large, silver wire flower hairpins, typically featuring a larger flower in the centre, worn either side of the on certain hairstyles.	are typically only worn with the and hairstyles.
		Strip-like metal hair ornaments seen at the back of some hairstyles, hanging down from the central bun.	Both, and re-enactors wear, with the of courtesans being longer and curled up at the end. are usually plain red or silver, though some may feature designs.
		Small, hairpin style intended to literally represent the ripe and unripened fruits of the orange tree. The leaves of are usually silver, with the oranges themselves made of jade and coral. For, the placement of the indicates seniority.
, also known as or simply		A triangular, folded piece of crepe fabric pinned into the back of certain hairstyles.	For, the colour of the fabric indicates seniority.
		Short, heavily-decorated hairpins with a large, rounded decoration on the end.	Typically decorated with gold, silver, tortoiseshell, jade, coral and other semi-precious stones, are worn at the back of some hairstyles featuring a bun, with the placed in the bun's centre.
– also known as		Small hairpins with one small motif or decoration worn just above the, again typically only by.	are usually chosen by the wearer out of personal taste.

– literally meaning "pinched " – are traditional made of squares of dyed or printed silk, folded into a number of shapes to represent flowers, plants and animals.
Each square is folded multiple times with the aid of tweezers and glued onto a base using rice glue. A finished piece may contain anything from five to 75 squares of silk or more. pieces are intended to closely represent the plant or animal they depict; depicting flowers are known as .
are usually made from a cluster of flowers, and may include -style strips of metal or long streamers of petals dangling from the main piece. are well-known for wearing that are typically larger than average.
Generally, are worn in pairs, one on either side of the head, often with a complementary. The flowers are glued to backings of metal or cardboard that are attached to a wire and are bunched together to make bouquets and other arrangements. Additional detailing of stamens is created by the use of, a strong, thin twine made from paper, often coloured and used for decorative works.
Geisha, and especially, wear different for each month of the year.

Seasonal motifs

are highly seasonal, though typically the only people in Japan who follow the seasons closely enough to register seasonal changes are geisha and their apprentices. Since wear more elaborate than their senior geisha, seasonal changes are even more important for them.

January – The design of January usually has an auspicious New Years' theme. is a popular choice – a combination of pine, bamboo and plum blossoms in green, red and white. Other popular motifs are sparrows, spinning tops and battledore paddles.
February – Usually trailing deep pink or red plum blossoms, said to symbolise young love and the approach of spring. Another less common theme is the pinwheel and the flowerball that is worn for Setsubun.
March – Trailing yellow and white rapeseed flowers and butterflies, as well as peach blossoms, narcissus, camellia and peonies. A rare featuring dolls that are used to celebrate the can also be seen during this month.
April – Trailing soft pink cherry blossoms mixed with butterflies and lanterns, signalling the approach of summer. Cherry blossom viewing at this time of year is a major cultural event in Japan. consisting of a single silver butterfly made of cord are common.
May – Trailing purple wisteria and flag irises, usually in blue or pink. Irises denote the height of spring while wisteria is a flower often associated with the Imperial Court.
June – Trailing green willow leaves with carnations/pinks, or less commonly hydrangea flowers. This month is the rainy season in Japan, and therefore willow and blue hydrangeas are appropriate.
July – featuring a display of fans are featured. The fans refer to the Gion Festival which takes place at this time. The motifs featured on a 's fan vary each year, in line with the festival. There are common themes such as dragonflies and lines denoting swirling water. Other worn during July are fireworks and dewdrops on grass.
August – Large morning glory or grass. The grass appears as a starburst of spines made of silvered paper. Senior wear white-backed silver petals and junior wear pink-backed silver petals.
September – Japanese bellflower. The purple tones are traditionally associated with autumn. Often these will be mixed with bush clover.
October – Chrysanthemum. These are well loved in Japan and are a symbol of the Imperial Family. Senior will wear one large flower while junior will wear a cluster of small flowers. Typical colours include pink, white, red, yellow, and purple.
November – Trailing autumnal leaves that are usually composed of the very popular Japanese maple. Maple viewing is the autumnal equivalent of cherry blossom viewing in Japan. Ginkgo and liquidambar leaves are also seen.
December – The Japanese make at this time of year, and often decorate trees with them to represent white flowers. It is thought to be good luck to wear featuring, or rice-cake flowers. December also feature two, name plates used by kabuki actors, which are initially blank. Traditionally, visit the Minamiza Theatre and ask two of their favourite kabuki actors to autograph them with their kabuki nom de plume. for senior feature green bamboo leaves while junior have a colourful assortment of lucky charms.
New Year – At this time of year all and geisha wear un-husked ears of rice in their hairstyles. These also feature eyeless white doves. The and geisha fill in one eye and ask somebody they like to draw the other for good luck in the coming year.