Kohai Japanese Headband (Hachimaki)

HACHIMAKI

A hachimaki ("helmet-scarf") is a stylized headband (bandana) in Japanese culture, usually made of red or white cloth or black cotton material, worn as a symbol of perseverance, effort, and/or courage by the wearer. These are worn on many occasions, for example, by sports spectators, by women giving birth, students in cram school, office workers,[1] expert tradesmen taking pride in their work, bōsōzoku (teen biker gangs) and even rioters.

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 These narrow strips of fabric are generally decorated with inspirational slogans, like "I am number 1" (Nippon Ichi, "the best of Japan" or "Japan's the best"), but most typically with the rising sun motif.

Hachimaki History

The historical origin of hachimaki is uncertain. One theory links the cloth to those worn by early religious ascetics. Another theory states that they originated in headbands worn by samurai that kept their helmets on, to absorb perspiration, and keep hair out of their eyes. This is similar to the purpose of the European cloth arming cap.

Perhaps the most well known usage of the hachimaki was by the kamikaze pilots toward the end of World War II. Kamikaze pilots would frequently don a hachimaki, usually with the kanji  ("Kamikaze"), before flying to their deaths.

Hachimaki in the modern Society

In modern Japan people are often seen wearing hachimaki sporting a number of various slogans, usually with a red circle in the center similar to the Japanese flag. They are worn to showcase their cause and/or to soak up sweat while exerting themselves in some sort of physical activity, such as a sport’s day game or carrying mikoshi.

Western pop culture has taken the hachimaki a little bit out of context by always portraying the wearer as some sort of martial artist. One only need think of movies like Karate kid, or Kung Fu Panda for examples of this. While Martial Artists may well wear a hachimaki while training, they are far from the only types of people who may wear one.

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