Kasa (hat)

This display case at Gifu Castle shows many kasa of the type known as jingasa.

A kasa (笠) is any of several sorts of traditional hats of Japan. When preceded by a word specifying the type of hat, the word becomes gasa as in the jingasa (war hat) (see Rendaku).

One kind of kasa for Buddhist monks is made overly large, in a bowl or mushroom shape and is made from woven rice straw. It does not come to a point like a rice farmer's hat, nor ride high on the head like a samurai's traveling hat. It is just a big hat covering the upper half to two thirds of the face. Thus, it helps mask the identity of the monk and allows him to travel undistracted by sights around him on his journey.

The samurai class of feudal Japan as well as their retainers and footsoldiers (ashigaru) used several types of jingasa made from iron, copper or leather.[1][2]

Kasa shares its etymology with the Japanese word for "umbrella" (which is also pronounced "kasa", but written 傘).

Types

Antique Japanese samurai leather jingasa (war hat) in the nirayama style.

Here is a list of several types of kasa:

  • Amigasa
  • Fukaamigasa
  • Jingasa ("war hat", a type of kasa commonly worn by samurai and ashigaru)
  • Sandogasa
  • Sugegasa (see Conical Asian hat)
  • Torioigasa
  • Takuhatsugasa
  • Yagyūgasa
  • Roningasa
  • Ajirogasa

See also

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Samurai Fighting Arts: The Spirit and the Practice, Author Fumon Tanaka, Publisher Kodansha International, 2003, ISBN 4770028989, 9784770028983 P.46
  2. ↑ Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan, Authors Oscar Ratti, Adele Westbrook, Publisher Tuttle Publishing, 1991, ISBN 0804816840, 9780804816847 P.219

External links

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