The Kansuzume

An absolutely charming variant of the Wareshinobu this look incorporates an unmissable prop: The Sparrow. The little bird sits on top of the mage and that little hairtail that wasn’t present in the previous installment of this series returned. Accordingly no historic Tayuu would have worn this hairstyle but probably a Furisode Tayuu or maybe a very special Furisode Shinzo, a young girl with promise, a girl worthy of the time and money of important men.

Source: Uemurakiichi on Instagram

First lets explore the star of the show, the winter sparrow or frost sparrow “Kansuzume”. In Japan the sparrow is found all year round but in winter specially they migrate to breed. Even thought the sparrow is a symbol of Love in Europe since the Greek Goddess Aphrodite claimed it as her favorite bird, it is rather lustful with no noticeable attachments to a lifelong partner like the Mandarin duck. They are beloved because they are lively and never still, they dance and chatter and sing. So they are the perfect representation of a flirty girl of the pleasure quarters!

But who might have worn this lovely hairstyle? As a cousin of the Wareshinobu, this is the perfect look for a younger girl but since it is worn with a kushi instead of a bridge kanzashi it might not have been an option for the elaborately decorated Kamuro but for a Shinzo or even a Furisode Tayuu.

Well educated as the wearer of the Kansuzume probably was, she would have made the connection of the bird with many paintings, poems, cautionary tales and songs as the sparrow is deeply rooted in Japanese symbolism. The sparrow in bamboo motif is a staple of Japanese visual artforms. Standing in as a more flowery term for harvest and rural life, oftentimes the sparrow encounters old and poor men in stories, it would have not exactly been the representation of the luxurious life a Tayuu was to promote. But in the end even a golden goose is just a bird.

The fluttering movements of the little sparrow inspired the popular Suzume Odori, a folk dance that is still danced today but also Gion Kobu’s famous representation onstage during the Gion Matsuri. Sendai’s Suzume Odori can be traced back to Date Masamune’s rule durning the early Edo period. The legendary Daimyo might have been an influence on this hairstyle since he was exactly the type of patron a Tayuu would have been trained to entertain. incidentally his mon features two sparrows facing each other representing the loyalty for his clansmen like the sparrow is loyal to its flutter.

Source: Nagata_midori531 on Instagram



Was a blossoming Furisode Tayuu loyal to her patron? Probably not but the charm and allure of these splendid women was the whole notion of romance and dramatic connection to their clients. Oftentimes these women were so entrenched in this world of poetic emotional turmoil which was their primary asset, setting them apart from the lowly yuujo. Was she to go as far as to cut off her dainty pinkie for her most important lover, him pining over her impeccable manners and sumptuous talents… The whole idea of these women, so otherworldly in their resplendent parlors, so covered in lush fabrics and a myriad of ornamental hairpins, it had to start somewhere. And here we are, the dawning of a new career. The Kansuzume might actually be the first hairstyle of a great Tayuu in training.