Kanzashi – Hair Ornaments

Kanzashi (簪) are the ornamental hair pieces added to the hair after structural combs and pins are added. They do not add fastening or other architectural elements but instead can be added and removed from hairstyles to match each outfit.

Modern kanzashi are commonly worn by Japanese girls when wearing kimono or for festivals and special events. These make wonderful cheap souvenirs and can be bought in markets in Japan or on craft sites like Etsy.

Many clothing items in Japan are guided by the seasons and the hair ornaments of the maiko are no exception. Here’s a guide to the kanzashi worn in each month, this list is not exhaustive but shows some common examples of those that would be worn in each season.

For a month by month calendar of seasonal motifs showing many beautiful thematic kanzashi being worn by geisha and maiko check out Geisha Kai’s Kanzashi Calendar