Pop Japan

Kanzashi is a traditional Japanese hair accessory. But it wasn't just used for fashion and for women to look beautiful. It was first used during the Jomon period (14,000BC) as a protective ornament against evil spirits.

Nowadays, the kanzashi is worn with a kimono during formal occasions such as weddings. Professionally, it is worn by maiko (apprentice geisha) and by the adepts of Japanese tea ceremony or ikebana, the Japanese traditional flower arranging. In the Western society, the term kanzashi is actually used to refer to folded cloth flowers.

It can come into many forms and are made of a wide variety of materials from cloth to tortoise shell.

Tags: fashion, traditional, kanzashi, jomon period, maiko, japanese wedding, japanese tea ceremony, ikebana, tortoise shell