Sumo Wrestler Hair Style
The hairstyle is called chonmage prepared by a tokoyama a hairstylist employed by japan sumo association to cut sumo wrestlers hair.
Sumo wrestler hair style. It was originally a method of using hair to hold a samurai helmet steady atop the head in battle and became a status symbol among japanese society. The chonmage is a form of japanese traditional topknot haircut worn by men. And it wouldn t have oicho chonmage a hairstyle reserved for sekitori the high ranking pro wrestlers. The bun looks like a ginkgo leaf a symbol of longevity in eastern philosophy and is only worn for special events.
The most common sumo hairstyle is the top knot or chonmage which features a large bun of hair on the top of the head. Men all over the world are now choosing to pay homage to these chonmage hairstyles by wearing their hair up in a high top knot. Without their religious and political influence sumo wouldn t have referees who look like shinto priests and a salt throwing ceremony to purify each match. That topknot mage is one of the most recognizable elements of sumo and is a version of the samurai hairstyle that was once common in japan.
When a wrestler retires he undergoes an elaborate hair cutting ceremony that treats his hair with appropriate reverence. In a traditional edo era chonmage the top of the head is shaved. It is most commonly associated with the edo period and samurai and in recent times with sumo wrestlers. A chonmage is traditional japanese hairstyle for men which dates back over 400 years.
Sumo has two versions of the mage. Sumo wrestlers have worn this style for centuries theoretically to cushion the head from injury.