Tokoyama
Encyclopedia
A tokoyama is a hairdresser employed by the Japan Sumo Association
to cut and prepare sumo
wrestlers' hair, which is done in a chonmage
style. The Sumo Association ranks them according to experience and ability and only the most senior tokoyama are entitled to prepare the more ornate oicho, or ginkgo
leaf form of topknot, which sekitori
ranked wrestlers wear in their bouts and on other formal occasions.
The term tokoyama can also be used in its original form, which was for specialists who worked in hairstyling in the Japan
ese form of theatre called kabuki
.
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
to cut and prepare sumo
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestlers' hair, which is done in a chonmage
Chonmage
The chonmage is a form of Japanese traditional haircut worn by men. It is most commonly associated with the Edo Period and samurai, and in recent times with sumo wrestlers...
style. The Sumo Association ranks them according to experience and ability and only the most senior tokoyama are entitled to prepare the more ornate oicho, or ginkgo
Ginkgo
Ginkgo , also spelled gingko and known as the Maidenhair Tree, is a unique species of tree with no close living relatives...
leaf form of topknot, which sekitori
Sekitori
A sekitori is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions...
ranked wrestlers wear in their bouts and on other formal occasions.
The term tokoyama can also be used in its original form, which was for specialists who worked in hairstyling in the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese form of theatre called kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
.