So, I've noticed that there are quite a few books about the Japanese language (which are usually incorrect), but none about random facts of history.
This book will contain various facts from Japanese History that you are highly unlikely to learn in...
The most common Japanese male hairstyle in the Edo period you would see in things like historic films is the 'Topknot'. (*1) During that era, it was a hairstyle that everyone from lowly peasants to the feudal lords wore. Over 2400 hairdressers existed in the city of Edo, and they were also popular places for people to have a game of Japanese chess.
The Topknot is a hairstyle that's made by combining a 'Sakayaki' (*2) and a 'Mage' (*3), and let's be honest. It's extremely strange. So why would the samurais sport this hairstyle? This actually has a very functional reason.
Why a Topknot?
During the Sengoku period when feudal lords from all around Japan were fighting to unify the country, guns had spread out, becoming the main means of war. In war, soldiers needed not only armors but helmets, too. (*4) Everything was made from metal back then, and the weight of all of them would amount to over 30kg. That's over 66 pounds.
Moving around in a heavy armor is definitely going to make you sweat, but in addition to that your head is covered up in metal with no means of letting in some air. This isn't only uncomfortable, but also unhygienic.
To do something about this situation, the Topknot was adopted. Shaving off the front and with a Mage on top of the head, a space was made in between the helmet and the head, allowing air to enter.
Spreading to peasants, with more variations.
Now getting back to the Edo period, there were no more wars but the clean and neat Topknot had turned to the standard hairstyle for samurais. This led to peasants trying to mimic them, as samurais were of high social status back then.
With the peasants own arrangements and pursue for fashion, a hairstyle called 'Ichoumage' is invented. (*5)
Peasants styled their hair in Koichou's (Middle figure), samurais in O^ichou's (Left figure), and rounins in Rouninichou's (Right figure).
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The Topknot culture that bloomed during the Edo period died during the Meiji period, when the Japanese culture started to take in Western culture, along with the Sanpatsudattou Order (*6), and the Meiji Emperor changing his hairstyle to Western ones,
That Topknot culture still lives in the O^ichou hairstyles seen on Sumo wrestlers. This Japanese hairstyle wasn't just a fashion, it was a functional hairstyle for warriors to fight wars.
*1...丁髷;Chonmage...that hairstyle.
*2...月代;Sakayaki...A hairstyle which has the hair of your front part of your head sheared off. Usually worn by young boys and girls.
3*...髷;Mage...Pronounced Ma-ge. A hairstyle that includes the hair in a bundle behind your head.
4*...兜;Kabuto...Helmets samurais would wear. Usually with some sort of accessory.
5*...銀杏髷;Ichoumage...Ichou is a tree, called 'Gingko', or 'Maiden hair tree' in English.
6*...散髪脱刀令;Sanpatsudattourei...Translates to 'Hair-cut no sword order'.
