The chonmage is the distinctive hairstyle of the samurai. Yet much about it remains unknown. Through interviews and experiments, we set out to discover the truth about when and how it came into being.

Samurai warriors’ intricate chonmage style was designed to allow them to keep their helmets on during combat. One example of social rank exemplified by hair would be the towering wig worn by ...

It's common to smell sumo wrestlers before seeing them . . . and not in a bad way. The hair wax used in the sport has a pungent sweet smell that is instantly recognizable. Known as bintsuke ...

Chonmage means ‘topknot’ in Japanese, the traditional hairstyle of choice for samurai and sumo. At Chonmage Imo (‘topknot potato’), skewers of chonmage-shaped sweet potato are dipped in ...