Shimada (hairstyle)

The shimada (島田) is a women's hairstyle in Japan, similar to a chignon. Its modern usage is mainly limited to geisha and bridal wear (mostly in the form of a wig), but during the Edo period it was also worn by ordinary women, and especially by girls in their late teens. Generally the hair is gathered together at the crown of the head and a small portion of the bun is sectioned off to point outward.

Profile of geisha Kimiha from Miyagawacho sporting a shimada wig

Variations

There are four main styles of shimada:

  • Taka shimada - a hairstyle with a high back bun, usually worn as a wig by young, newly married women
  • Tsubushi shimada - a more flattened chignon generally worn by older women and geisha
  • Uiwata - a chignon that usually displays a piece of coloured crepe folded up at the base of the bun
  • Momoware - a hairstyle with a bun split at the top and the bottom to display crepe fabric, typically worn by young girls during the Edo period

Edo period
"Hairdresser" from the series Twelve types of women's handicraft by Utamaro
"Tomimoto Toyohina" by Utamaro, showing a Tōrōbin Shimada hairstyle

These hairstyles developed in the Edo period, when the preference among women for long, flowing hairstyles gave way to elaborate, upswept styles with buns at the back of the neck. The trend started among courtesans and kabuki actors, but soon spread to fashionable merchants' wives and then became a general fashion trend.[1]

To create these coiffures, the hair was usually divided into six sections – the two sides, the front, the back, the nape of the neck, and the center – all of which were eventually brought together in the center. The center section was secured with string, and frames, pins, and combs were inserted as required to hold the style in place.[1]

An elaborate version of the shimada that became popular in the mid–Edo period (18th century) was called the tōrōbin shimada. It featured wide wings at the side and is often seen in ukiyo-e prints by artists such as Utamaro. The name means "Lantern Shimada", and is said to refer to the way that the background can be seen through the wings on the sides, like scenery seen through a tōrō lantern.[2]

Notes
  1. Sherrow, Victoria (2006). Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 222. ISBN 9780313331459.
  2. "Description of Japanese Hairstyles (日本髪の解説)" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2014-10-06.

References
  • Asano, Tamaki (1990). "Women's Hairdressing". In Dr. Junichi Saga (ed.). Memories of Silk and Straw: a Self-Portrait of Small-Town Japan. Translated by Garry O. Evans (1st paperback ed.). Tokyo: Kodansha International. pp. 150–154. ISBN 0-87011-988-5.
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