Kanzashi: Japanese Hair Sticks, Hair Pins and Flower Kanzashi

Kanzashi (簪 / かんざし) are traditional Japanese hair ornaments: hair sticks, hair pins, combs and the silk-flower pins worn by Kyoto’s maiko. The word covers everything from a plain wooden stick that holds a bun in one twist to an Edo-period tortoiseshell pin with a tiny ear pick on the end.^[2] This guide explains what each type is called, how kanzashi developed, what maiko wear each month, how to make tsumami-zaiku fabric flowers, how to put up your hair with one hair stick, which materials to avoid importing, and where to buy kanzashi in Kyoto, Tokyo or online from Japan (prices as of November 2026).

What Is a Kanzashi? Meaning, Kanji and Pronunciation

Kanzashi meaning: the Digital Daijisen dictionary defines 簪 as a women’s hair ornament. It explains the word as a sound change of kami-sashi (髪挿し, “hair-inserter”), and lists front, middle and back placements (maezashi, nakazashi, ushirozashi) and types such as hira-uchi, hana-kanzashi and tama-kanzashi. A second, older meaning is the pin that holds a court cap to the topknot.^[2] The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s craft page also says kanzashi is usually explained as coming from 髪刺し, “hair-piercer”.^[4]

• Kanzashi kanji: 簪 (one character). In kana: かんざし. It is also written カンザシ.
• Kanzashi pronunciation: kahn-zah-shee, three even syllables (kan-za-shi).
• Kanzashi definition in English: there is no single English word. “Japanese hair pin”, “Japanese hair stick” and “Japanese hair ornament” are all used. A maezashi (前挿) is a kanzashi set at the front of the bun.^[11]
• Kamikazari vs kanzashi: 髪飾り kamikazari simply means “hair ornament”. It is the umbrella term, and the dictionary lists combs (櫛), kogai (笄) and hair pins (ヘアピン) alongside kanzashi as related words.^[2]

So, what is a Japanese hair stick called? A kanzashi (and a one-stick pin used to hold an updo is an ippon kanzashi, 一本簪). What is the Japanese hair pin called? Also kanzashi, unless it is a comb (kushi) or a horizontal bar (kogai). The traditional Japanese hair accessories names you will meet most often are kanzashi, kushi and kogai.^[7][6]

Kanzashi History: From Charms to Edo Fashion

• Ancient charms: Heibonsha’s encyclopedia says a single pointed stick was once believed to hold magical power, so pushing one into the hair was thought to ward off evil. The kazashi in the Nihon Shoki and Man’yoshu were flower sprigs that courtiers tucked into their caps at rites and banquets.^[2]
• Nara period (8th century): two-pronged hairpins from Sui and Tang China, called saishi (釵子), reached Japan. Horyuji’s treasures include a silver cloud-shaped saishi said to have been used by Prince Shotoku. Women serving at the imperial court kept wearing saishi with formal court dress, so saishi is the term to search for Japanese royal, empress or princess hair accessories.^[2][8]
• Heian period: from the late 9th century women wore their hair long and straight, and hair ornaments hardly developed.^[2]
• Edo period (17th–19th centuries): as tied hairstyles (mage) spread, kanzashi multiplied: silver plum branches, family-crest pins, ear-pick pins, then the swaying birabira. Materials included gold, silver, bekko (tortoiseshell), coral, ivory, wood, glass (giyaman) and shakudo alloy. Most mid-to-late Edo kanzashi had an ear pick on the end. At first a woman wore one, later two or more, and by the late Edo period the hairstyle fixed where each one went.^[2][5]
• Showa period: platinum, rubber, celluloid and plastic joined the list.^[2]

Was the kanzashi Chinese or Japanese? Both, in a way. The idea of the two-pronged hairpin came from China, but the Edo-period kanzashi, with no religious meaning and a huge range of shapes, developed in Japan.^[2] (Readers comparing Japanese vs Chinese hair sticks, or kanzashi vs binyeo, Korea’s hairpin, should note that this guide covers only the Japanese side.) Old, vintage and antique Japanese hair pins from the Edo to Showa periods can be seen at the Kushi Kanzashi Museum in Ome, western Tokyo. It shows about 400 combs and kanzashi, changed with the seasons, and is a 10-minute walk from Sawai station. It is open 10:00–16:30 and closed Mondays; admission is ¥600 for adults.^[12]

Types of Japanese Hair Accessories (Kanzashi Types and Styles)

Heibonsha sorts Edo kanzashi into ear-pick, pine-needle, tama, hira-uchi, flower and novelty shapes. A modern kanzashi shop adds combs, fan-shaped pins and casual pins.^[2][1] These are the types and styles of Japanese ornamental hair pins and their names (every accessory below is a kanzashi in the broad sense):

Modern shops add Japanese-inspired casual kanzashi, Western-style updo pins with rhinestones, leather, feathers or charms, plus clips, U-pins and hair hooks for everyday clothes.^[1][10] Everyday Japanese hair clips, such as claw clips, bun clips and kawaii character clips, are modern accessories and not kanzashi. A Japanese hair clip in the traditional style is usually a floral tsumami-flower clip, and a hair clip tutorial is simple: clip it beside a bun or above one ear. One shop sells a small double-plum tsumami clip for ¥3,190.^[10]

Kanzashi materials

• Metal: gold (a golden pin), silver (ginpira), brass, shakudo. Metal shafts are strong and thin enough for any hair volume, but they are slippery, so the hair can loosen.^[2][1][9]
• Wood: light, slightly rough so it grips well. Good if a metal pin keeps sliding out of thick hair.^[9]
• Lacquer: black lacquer bases with maki-e gold pictures or mother-of-pearl (raden) inlay. These are the Japanese lacquer hair pins of fan and comb kanzashi.^[1][6] For more on urushi, see our Japanese lacquerware guide.
• Glass: glass shafts and beads look cool with a summer yukata, but don’t drop them.^[9]
• Stones, beads and pearls: coral, jade, tonbodama glass beads and cloisonne on tama pins; shell pearls on modern designs.^[1][13]
• Bekko (tortoiseshell): the classic luxury material. It is light, and that is why oiran wore so many bekko pins.^[14][1] Do not import real bekko into the US; see the warning below.
• Acrylic, acetate and “acetylloid”: modern bekko-style (べっ甲調) pins. One fan kanzashi sold as bekko-style is acrylic resin with mother-of-pearl.^[1][15]

Price depends mostly on material. Bekko, coral, lacquer, maki-e and raden pieces cost the most; glass-bead and rhinestone pins are the cheap, cute end.^[1] That is also the honest answer to “how much is a high quality kanzashi” or a luxury one: a gold, silver or lacquer piece by a craftsperson costs many times more than a casual glass pin.

Geisha and Maiko Kanzashi: The Monthly Flower Calendar

In Kyoto, maiko (apprentice geiko) wear their hair in the wareshinobu style, decorated with hari-uchi pins and hana-kanzashi. When a maiko becomes a geiko (erikae), her red collar changes to white.^[16] Kyoto City lists hana-kanzashi (花かんざし) as one of its 74 traditional industries.^[17]

The maiko kanzashi change every month to match the season. Lists differ a little from book to book, and some maiko order their own variations, but the usual calendar is:^{[18][1][19][20]}

• Rice-ear kanzashi: real rice ears, worn roughly January 1–15, carry a tiny white dove. Studio Kokoro, a Kyoto maiko-photo studio, says maiko wear it on the right and geiko on the left. It also passes on the lore that if someone you like paints in the dove’s eyes, your wish comes true.^[19]
• Maneki in December: the blank name boards get a favorite kabuki actor’s name written in during the kaomise visit.^[19]
• Colors: yellow nanohana in March, purple wisteria and iris in May, blue and green hydrangea in June, pink or red pinks in July. Maiko close to their erikae may wear quieter light blue.^[19]
• Junior vs senior maiko: the kanzashi with many dangling flowers (bura) belong to new maiko. The more there are, the younger she is. Senior maiko wear simpler designs and change hairstyle from wareshinobu to ofuku.^[20]

Oiran, the top-ranked courtesans of Edo’s Yoshiwara, wore far more. One example hairstyle, date-hyogo, carries six kanzashi with pine and koto-bridge motifs, two large coral pins and three bekko combs. These geisha- and oiran-style Japanese hair pins were light because bekko and coral are light.^[1]

Where are maiko kanzashi made? Kintakedo in Gion has made and sold kanzashi for geiko, maiko and Shimabara tayu since the last years of the Edo period. Kyoto’s craft council says most hana-kanzashi demand now comes as special orders from the hanamachi. Habutae silk is dyed outside, washi and flat silk thread are dyed in-house, and the petals are punched out with chisels (tagane). The shop also sells many ornaments for general customers.^[21]

Tsumami-Zaiku: Flower Kanzashi and Edo Tsumami Kanzashi

Tsumami-zaiku (つまみ細工, “pinch work”) turns small squares of thin fabric into petals: each square is pinched and folded with tweezers, then glued onto a base in relief. The Nipponica encyclopedia calls it a technique unique to Japan.^[22] The method began in the early Edo period. By the mid-Edo period combs, kanzashi and kusudama balls made this way were all the rage, and by the late Edo period specialist makers sold them as prized Edo souvenirs.^[22] The Edo-period Morisada Manko records that around the Bunsei era (1818–30), women wore chrysanthemum and crane shapes made from small crepe pieces at the back of the shimada bun.^[4]

Edo tsumami kanzashi (江戸つまみ簪) was designated a Tokyo traditional craft on December 24, 1982. It is made mainly in Taito, Arakawa and Sumida wards. The rules call for habutae silk and a base of tsuge, pear or magnolia wood. Round folds (maru-tsumami) give a soft look and square folds (kaku-tsumami) a strong one, and the usual motifs are chrysanthemum, plum, butterflies and the phoenix.^[4][23] Tokyo’s page says the technique came to Edo from a petal-kanzashi method made in Kyoto. Today Tokyo is the main production area, and orders from overseas wholesalers are rising.^[4] “江戸つまみ簪” is a registered regional collective trademark of the Tokyo hair-ornament makers’ cooperative (founded 1974). Its members include Kanzashi Sugino in Sumida.^[24]

Kanzashi flower meaning

Flower kanzashi are worn at milestones: New Year, Shichi-Go-San, Jusan-mairi, coming-of-age day and weddings.^[4] The flowers follow the season, so a plum pin says late winter and a chrysanthemum says autumn, as in the maiko calendar above. A kanzashi was also a meaningful gift. A Yosakoi-bushi folk-song line tells of a monk seen buying a kanzashi at Harimaya Bridge (1855). A Kyoto kanzashi shop takes this as a sign that giving a woman a kanzashi was a special act in Edo times, a bit like giving a ring today.^[1]

How to make kanzashi flowers (tsumami-zaiku basics)

A short kanzashi flowers for beginners overview from Kotobank’s craft entries and Tokyo’s technique notes:^[22][3][4]

1. Fabric: thin habutae silk or chirimen crepe is classic; satin, crepe de chine and organza also work. Cut it into squares of about 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) with a blade and a ruler.
2. Tools: tweezers (the main kanzashi flower tool), small scissors, a glue board and a spatula, and a base: backing paper or board for flat pieces, or a wooden base for pins.
3. Glue: starch pastes such as hime-nori, Yamato-nori or Fueki-nori, spread thin on the board so the paste touches only the cut edge of each petal. Some crafters thin it or mix in craft bond.
4. Fold: hold the square with tweezers and fold it into a triangle, then fold again into a petal. Round petals (maru) look soft; pointed petals (ken) look sharp.
5. Place: dip the cut edge in the glue and set petals around the base, a technique called fuki. Nipponica lists 12 folds, including double, turned-back and calyx folds.
6. Assemble: traditional makers bind finished flowers and dangles onto the pin with fine thread. Add any extra color only after the paste is fully dry.

The same flowers make a brooch, a hair clip, earrings, a necklace pendant, a keychain, a lapel pin, a bow or ribbon piece, a flower crown or Christmas ornaments. Glue them to the matching finding. Popular flower shapes are ume plum, cherry blossom, chrysanthemum, rose, lotus, orchid, wisteria and poinsettia, plus a butterfly with leaves. For a rose or any other flower, draw a simple pattern of petal sizes first. That is the whole kanzashi flower tutorial; video tutorials help with the folds. In Japanese, search つまみ細工 キット for a kanzashi flower making kit. Allergy note: Kanzashi Sugino’s workshops use a starch paste made from wheat.^[25]

Ribbon kanzashi and the Clover Kanzashi Flower Maker

In English-language craft circles, “kanzashi flowers” often means sewn ribbon or fabric flowers. The craft-tool maker Clover describes kanzashi as “a traditional Japanese art form of folding and stitching fabric petals for use in beautiful hair adornments”. Its Kanzashi Flower Maker templates work like this: set the fabric, cut, sew through the holes in the plate, pull the thread tight, and move on to the next petal with the same thread.^[26][27]

• Clover makes five template sizes and shapes (often sold as a 5pcs set by other sellers): 8483 Pointed Petal Large (about 75 mm / 3 in), 8484 Gathered Petal Small (50 mm / 2 in), 8485 Gathered Petal Large (75 mm), 8486 Orchid Petal Small (50 mm) and 8487 Orchid Petal Large (75 mm).^[27]
• Clover’s pages link written instructions and short how-to videos for each petal type.^[26][27]
• Clover’s method is stitched, while traditional tsumami-zaiku is glued.^[22] Both make good kanzashi ribbon flowers for a DIY kanzashi flower hair clip, and English-language ribbon tutorials mostly follow the sewn method.
• Crochet flowers, origami and resin flowers are different crafts. They can be mounted on a kanzashi stick the same way. Kanzashi books on tsumami-zaiku are sold in Japan under つまみ細工 本.

Want to try it in Tokyo? Kanzashi Sugino, founded in 1948 in Mukojima, Sumida, runs Edo tsumami kanzashi workshops. Its school-trip workshop is about 60 minutes and costs ¥3,300 per person, and visitors from abroad can book a separate English-supported private program for 1–4 people. Its third-generation proprietress, Satoko Sugino, was certified as a Tokyo traditional craftsperson for Edo tsumami kanzashi in 2025.^[28][25][29] The company also sells a coming-of-age ornament packaged as an “Art Bouquet”, a kanzashi flower bouquet kept as a memento after the ceremony.^[30]

How to Use a Kanzashi Hair Stick (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

The basic one-stick updo is a twisted bun held by one kanzashi, with no elastic. This Japanese hair stick tutorial comes from a Kyoto kanzashi shop’s long-hair guide:^[31]

1. Gather your hair into a ponytail in your left hand and twist it clockwise all the way to the roots.
2. Insert the kanzashi straight into the middle of the twist, around the center back of your head.
3. Bring the hair to the left while turning the stick clockwise, so it scoops up the twisted hair.
4. Keep winding so the hair wraps tightly around the stick. When the stick reaches 11 o’clock, push it in toward 5 o’clock.

The trick is to scoop the hair with the stick and turn. Very long, waist-length hair can need two hairpins.^[31]

By hair length

• Medium hair: gather at the back and twist the roots clockwise. Insert the kanzashi into the center of the twist, rotate it over the ends, raise it to 1 o’clock, then slide it in along the scalp.^[9]
• Long hair: twist counterclockwise and fold the ends over the bundle. Insert the stick from below, raise it to 2 o’clock and slide it in along the scalp.^[9]
• Short hair or a bob: do a half up, half down bun. Take the top section, twist it into a small bun, insert the kanzashi in the center, then raise it and slide it in. A half-up style also suits a kanzashi with dangles.^[9]
• Short or very silky hair: a two-prong (futamata) kanzashi holds better than a single stick, which can fall out.^[9]
• Thick or curly hair: a wooden stick grips better than metal. With a slippery metal stick, tie a ponytail with an elastic first and slide the kanzashi through the elastic.^[9]
• Braids and side buns: braid one side, make a chignon on the other and add the pin, or slip a pin into a braid when your hair is too short for an updo.^[31][13]

How to use Chinese hair sticks follows the same twist-and-turn idea. How to use U-shaped hair pins: a U-pin is pushed into a finished bun to hold it, not used to build one.^[10] Don’t force a flat brass shaft; one shop warns it can bend or break if pushed too hard.^[13]

Kanzashi length: two one-stick pins from one Kyoto shop measure 13.2 cm and 15 cm (5.2 and 5.9 in) overall, with 9.5 cm and 11.5 cm (3.7 and 4.5 in) shafts.^[32][13] Check the shaft length on the listing; the shop suggests a second pin for long or thick hair.^[13]

Real Tortoiseshell (Bekko) Kanzashi and US Import Rules

Bekko (鼈甲) is made from the shell of the hawksbill sea turtle. Kotobank notes the name was borrowed from the soft-shell turtle (suppon) because using hawksbill shell for clothing accessories was banned in the Edo period.^[14] The hawksbill is listed in CITES Appendix I. In 1991 Japan decided to withdraw its reservation on the hawksbill by the end of July 1994, with imports allowed only until the end of 1992.^[33] NOAA says hawksbill shell, also known as “tortoise shell”, has been used for jewelry and trinkets, and that hunting for it nearly drove the species to extinction.^[34]

For US buyers: sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA’s enforcement leaflet says it is generally prohibited to import, sell or possess listed species. It names sea-turtle “shell, shell items (jewelry, hairpins, etc.)” among the products concerned.^[35] So do not order real tortoiseshell (本べっ甲) kanzashi, combs or kogai to the US, including vintage ones. Choose bekko-style (べっ甲調 / べっ甲風) acrylic or acetate instead, and read the material line on the listing. We did not check US rules for ivory or coral, so check them before buying antique pieces made from those materials. See also what you cannot ship from Japan.

Where to Buy Kanzashi in Kyoto and Tokyo

Kyoto

• Kintakedo (金竹堂), Gion: the maiko and geiko kanzashi maker described above, at 京都市東山区祇園町北側263. It sells flower pins and ornaments for general customers too.^[21]
• Kazurasei Roho (かづら清老舗), Gion: founded in 1865. It sells camellia (tsubaki) oil pressed at its own plant, tsuge combs, kanzashi and hair ornaments. Hours are 10:00–19:00, closed Wednesdays.^[36][37]
• Kanzashi-ya wargo (かんざし屋wargo): a kanzashi chain with Kyoto shops on Shinkyogoku (Takoyakushi-dori, 11:00–20:30), in Ninenzaka near Kiyomizu (10:00–19:00) and by Nishiki Market (10:00–19:00).^[38][39][40]

Tokyo

• Asakusa: kanzashi-ya wargo’s Asakusa Shin-Nakamise shop is at Asakusa 1-32-3 (weekdays 10:00–19:00, weekends 10:00–19:30). It is a kanzashi shop; “Kanzashi” hotels in Asakusa are unrelated.^[41]
• Harajuku: another wargo shop, 12:00–20:00.^[42]
• Osaka: the wargo chain’s store list (November 2026) has 16 kanzashi shops, in Kyoto, Tokyo, Kamakura, Kawagoe, Ise, Izumo, Fukuoka, Yufuin and Shizuoka, plus Haneda Airport, but none in Osaka. From Osaka, the Kyoto shops above are the closest of these.^[43]
• Sumida / Taito / Arakawa: the Edo tsumami kanzashi makers’ home ground. Kanzashi Sugino runs workshops (see above).^[4][25]

Kanzashi prices in Japan (November 2026)

Listed prices across one chain’s online kanzashi range of 384 items, read on November 1, 2026 (median ¥4,840):^[10]

Individual examples: a brass hira-uchi one-stick pin, 13.2 cm, ¥5,720; a tsumami one-stick cherry pin with brass shaft and tassel, 15 cm, ¥7,040; a bekko-style acrylic fan kanzashi with mother-of-pearl, ¥17,820.^[32][13][15] The same shop sells kanzashi bags (かんざし袋) as a Japanese hair pin holder.^[10] At ¥150 to the dollar (an example rate only), a ¥4,840 pin is about $32 before shipping. Check the day’s rate. What a kanzashi flower is worth depends on the work. In that range a small tsumami clip lists at ¥3,190, and a Shichi-Go-San tsumami set lists at up to ¥22,990.^[10]

Not a Kanzashi: The “Japanese Hair Stick” for Flyaways

Many searches for a “Japanese hair stick”, including the viral one on social media, mean a different product. It is a stick-type hair wax for smoothing fly away hairs (flyaways), baby hairs and bangs into a sleek finish, like a slick stick or a hair mascara wand. The well-known one is Utena’s Matomage styling stick (まとめ髪スティック), which keeps flyaways and bangs in place without making them stiff and keeps your hands clean.^[44][45]

• Versions: Regular (natural finish) and Super Hold (firm finish), both 13 g, ¥693 tax-in reference price. Both are fragrance-free, colorant-free and alcohol-free, and patch-tested.^[45][44] Shoppers sometimes call them “pink vs blue” or “red” by package color. Go by the label instead: レギュラー (Regular) or スーパーホールド (Super Hold).
• How to use it: after styling, press the flat face of the stick onto the frizz or flyaway area and smooth it down. Don’t rub hard, or white clumps can form. It can be hard to wash out, so rinse well with warm water before shampooing.^[44]
• It is a wax, not a gel, glue, pomade, balm or finishing stick in the strict sense. Those are separate products with different finishes. For shampoos and treatments, see our Japanese hair care brands guide.

Search Matomage hair sticks on OneMall.

Japanese Hair Accessories for Men, Kids, Weddings and Kimono

• Men (male head accessories): the kogai began as a hair-arranging tool used by both men and women. A small kogai was also carried in the sword scabbard to smooth their hair, and a split kogai could serve as chopsticks.^[7] Today, a plain wooden or metal one-stick kanzashi in a man’s bun is simply a hair stick. Sticks with crest-style hira-uchi heads or a single dark bead look the most low-key.
• Kids and girls: tsumami flower kanzashi are standard for Shichi-Go-San and Jusan-mairi.^[4] One shop’s Shichi-Go-San sets run ¥16,390–¥22,990.^[10]
• Weddings and bridal: Edo tsumami kanzashi are also worn at weddings and on coming-of-age day.^[4] Combs and kogai belong to the formal Japanese hairstyles worn with kimono.^[7][6]
• Kimono and yukata: any type works. For a summer yukata, glass pins look cool, and July’s uchiwa-fan motif is a Kyoto summer favorite.^[9][18] Pair them with Japanese fans and geta or zori sandals.
• Cute and kawaii: look for small tsumami clips, cat- or Shiba-dog pins on wooden shafts, and character kanzashi.^[10]

Kanzashi vs chopsticks: they look similar, but a kanzashi has a tapered shaft and a decorated head. Don’t put eating chopsticks in your hair. See our Japanese chopsticks guide for the real thing. For other jewelry, see Japanese jewelry brands; for gifts, Japan souvenirs.

How to Buy Kanzashi from Japan (Online)

1. Search in Japanese. 簪 or かんざし (kanzashi); 一本簪 (one-stick); 玉簪 (tama); 平打簪 (hira-uchi); つまみ簪 or つまみ細工 髪飾り (tsumami); 舞妓 花簪 (maiko hana kanzashi); 扇型簪 / バチ型 (fan / bachi); べっ甲調 (bekko-style); アンティーク 簪 (antique or vintage); 二又簪 (two-prong).
2. Check the specs: overall length and shaft length (cm), shaft material (真鍮 brass, 木 wood, ガラス glass), and the material line (素材) for anything that might be real tortoiseshell.
3. Kanzashi buy routes: Mercari and Yahoo Auctions have vintage pieces and handmade tsumami work. Shop sites sell new ones. Kanzashi-ya wargo ships abroad itself, at about ¥5,000 (excluding tax) to the US as of November 2026, and duties are paid by the recipient.^[46] If you are also buying other items in Japan, compare that against buying through OneMall and consolidating everything into one box.
4. Packing: kanzashi are light but long, and glass beads and dangles are fragile. Add package reinforcement (from ¥100), or unboxing photos (¥500 / ¥700) to check pieces at the Tokyo warehouse before they ship.

OneMall buys from Japanese marketplaces such as Mercari, Yahoo Auctions, Rakuten and Amazon Japan, and from other Japanese online stores (including maker web shops) through LinkBuy. Items that need a lottery entry, purchase limit, Japanese identity verification or a merchant account cannot be purchased. International shipping is charged on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (length × width × height ÷ 5,000) of the box the warehouse uses.

Service fees are ¥300 per item on most marketplaces; from ¥200 per item on Yahoo Auctions and LinkBuy. The first six orders consolidate free; each additional order costs ¥100. Storage is free for 90 days after arrival (30 days after consolidation). Payment is by Visa, Mastercard or PayPal, settled in USD.

US buyers: since August 29, 2025, US-bound parcels of any value go through customs and pay applicable duties, taxes and fees — the $800 de minimis exemption no longer applies. OneMall currently ships to the United States by ECMS, DHL and Japan Post EMS (DDP — declared value up to USD 2,500, duties prepaid with the shipping fee); the live quote at checkout shows which lines accept your parcel.

If something breaks: damage caused inside the warehouse by OneMall is refunded at the item’s purchase price; damage in international transit is compensated up to the international shipping fee paid, and must be reported within 24 hours with the order number, photos and a full unboxing video. Loss in transit is handled by the carrier, and OneMall helps confirm with the carrier and file the claim within 72 hours. Duties and customs fees are paid by the buyer.

Browse kanzashi, tsumami flower kanzashi, tama kanzashi, bekko-style kanzashi, antique kanzashi or tsumami-zaiku kits, and compare the best Japan proxy services and proxy costs by total landed cost. Our LinkBuy guide explains ordering from a Japanese shop site, and our ikebana guide and furoshiki guide cover more Japanese crafts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Japanese hair accessories called?

Kanzashi (簪) is the general name for Japanese hair pins and hair sticks. Combs are kushi, horizontal bars are kogai, and the umbrella term for hair ornaments is kamikazari.

What is a Japanese hair stick called?

A kanzashi, or more precisely an ippon kanzashi (一本簪, one-stick kanzashi) when it holds an updo on its own. If you mean the styling wax for flyaways, that is a hair stick such as Utena’s Matomage.

How do you say kanzashi?

Kan-za-shi (kahn-zah-shee), written 簪 or かんざし.

What do maiko kanzashi mean?

They mark the month: plum in February, cherry in April, wisteria in May, chrysanthemum in October, maneki in December. The more dangling flowers there are, the newer the maiko.

Can I wear kanzashi with short hair?

Yes. Try a half-up bun with a single stick, or a two-prong kanzashi, which holds short or silky hair better.

Can you use kanzashi with curly hair?

Yes. Curly and thick hair often grips a wooden stick well; twist firmly and turn the stick through the twist.

Can men wear kanzashi?

Yes. The kogai was historically used by men and women, and a plain stick in a man’s bun is a common modern use.

How much does a kanzashi cost in Japan?

In one chain’s range in November 2026, most were ¥1,540–¥21,340 and the median was ¥4,840. Tsumami pieces for Shichi-Go-San ran up to ¥22,990.

Can I bring a tortoiseshell kanzashi into the US?

Don’t. Hawksbill shell items, hairpins included, fall under US Endangered Species Act import rules. Buy bekko-style acrylic instead.

How do I make a kanzashi flower?

Cut 1–3 cm silk squares, fold them into petals with tweezers, dip the cut edge in starch paste and set them in a circle on a base. Or use a Clover Kanzashi Flower Maker template to sew the petals instead.

References

1. Kanzashi-ya wargo column: Kyoto kanzashi. https://wargo.jp/blogs/kanzashi-column/kyoto-kanzashi
2. Kotobank: 簪 (かんざし) — Digital Daijisen, Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, Britannica Japan, MyPedia. https://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%B0%AA-48780
3. Kotobank: 花簪 (はなかんざし). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E8%8A%B1%E7%B0%AA-603407
4. Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs: 江戸つまみ簪 (Tokyo traditional crafts). https://www.dento-tokyo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/items/13.html
5. Kotobank: びらびら簪. https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%81%B3%E3%82%89%E3%81%B3%E3%82%89%E7%B0%AA-1401689
6. Kotobank: 櫛 (くし). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%AB%9B-55174
7. Kotobank: 笄 (こうがい). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%AC%84-61512
8. Kotobank: 釵子 (さいし). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%87%B5%E5%AD%90-507670
9. Creema: how to put in a kanzashi by hair length. https://www.creema.jp/blog/564/detail
10. Kanzashi-ya wargo: kanzashi collection (384 listings, prices read 2026-11-01). https://wargo.jp/collections/kanzashi
11. Kotobank: 前挿 (まえざし). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%89%8D%E6%8C%BF-633237
12. Ome Chamber of Commerce: Kushi Kanzashi Museum. https://www.omecci.jp/ome-okutama/mitake/sightseeing/kushi_kanzashi_museum.html
13. Kanzashi-ya wargo: tsumami one-stick kanzashi “Mai-zakura”. https://wargo.jp/products/5823
14. Kotobank: 鼈甲 (べっこう). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%BC%88%E7%94%B2-129562
15. Kanzashi-ya wargo: fan-shaped kanzashi, bekko-style with mother-of-pearl. https://wargo.jp/products/14310
16. Kotobank: 舞妓 (まいこ). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E8%88%9E%E5%A6%93-135405
17. City of Kyoto: list of 74 traditional industries (PDF). https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sankan/cmsfiles/contents/0000041/41366/74hinmoku.pdf
18. Kyoto-tsu Encyclopedia: hana-kanzashi of maiko by month. https://www.kyototuu.jp/Tradition/KagaiHanaKanzashi.html
19. Studio Kokoro Arashiyama: maiko flower kanzashi by month. https://www.kokoro-maiko.com/maiko/kanzashi/
20. ANIMATO: maiko kanzashi by season and career stage. https://animatoweb.com/kanzasi/
21. Council of Traditional Crafts, City of Kyoto: Kintakedo, hana-kanzashi. https://kyoto-kougei.com/introduction/hanakanzashi/
22. Kotobank: つまみ細工 (Nipponica). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%81%A4%E3%81%BE%E3%81%BF%E7%B4%B0%E5%B7%A5-1564868
23. Kotobank: 江戸つまみ簪. https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%B1%9F%E6%88%B8%E3%81%A4%E3%81%BE%E3%81%BF%E7%B0%AA-1778798
24. Tokyo Kamikazari-hin Seizo Kyodo Kumiai (TKK), hosted by Kanzashi Sugino. https://www.sugino-mkj.co.jp/tkk/
25. Kanzashi Sugino: workshops. https://www.sugino-mkj.co.jp/workshop/
26. Clover: Kanzashi Flower Maker (Pointed Petal/Large) No. 8483. https://www.clover-mfg.com/en/product/n8483
27. Clover: Kanzashi Flower Maker product features. https://www.clover-mfg.com/en/feature/kanzashi-flower-maker/
28. Kanzashi Sugino: company profile. https://www.sugino-mkj.co.jp/aboutus/
29. Kanzashi Sugino: traditional craftsperson Satoko Sugino. https://www.sugino-mkj.co.jp/satoko/
30. Kanzashi Sugino: top page (news: Arenca Art Bouquet coming-of-age ornament, 2025-09-02). https://www.sugino-mkj.co.jp/
31. Kanzashi-ya wargo: how to use kanzashi for long hair. https://wargo.jp/en/blogs/kanzashi-column/longhair_recommendation
32. Kanzashi-ya wargo: hira-uchi one-stick kanzashi, brass. https://wargo.jp/products/3506
33. Japan Bekko Association: background of its founding. http://www.bekko.or.jp/gaiyo/haikei.html
34. NOAA Fisheries: Hawksbill Turtle. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/hawksbill-turtle
35. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement: Know the Law, imports trifold (PDF). https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/dam-migration/imports-trifold-2017-ole.pdf
36. Kazurasei Roho: company profile. https://www.kazurasei.co.jp/f/company
37. Kazurasei Roho: online shop top. https://www.kazurasei.co.jp/
38. Kanzashi-ya wargo: Shinkyogoku store. https://wargo.jp/blogs/shop-list/%E6%96%B0%E4%BA%AC%E6%A5%B5%E3%81%8B%E3%82%93%E3%81%96%E3%81%97%E5%B1%8Bwargo
39. Kanzashi-ya wargo: Kyoto Ninenzaka store. https://wargo.jp/blogs/shop-list/%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E4%BA%8C%E5%B9%B4%E5%9D%82%E3%81%8B%E3%82%93%E3%81%96%E3%81%97%E5%B1%8Bwargo
40. Kanzashi-ya wargo: Kyo-Nishiki store. https://wargo.jp/blogs/shop-list/%E4%BA%AC%E9%8C%A6-%E3%81%8B%E3%82%93%E3%81%96%E3%81%97%E5%B1%8Bwargo
41. Kanzashi-ya wargo: Asakusa Shin-Nakamise store. https://wargo.jp/blogs/shop-list/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89%E6%96%B0%E4%BB%B2%E8%A6%8B%E4%B8%96-%E3%81%8B%E3%82%93%E3%81%96%E3%81%97%E5%B1%8Bwargo
42. Kanzashi-ya wargo: Harajuku store. https://wargo.jp/blogs/shop-list/%E5%8E%9F%E5%AE%BF-%E3%81%8B%E3%82%93%E3%81%96%E3%81%97%E5%B1%8Bwargo
43. Kanzashi-ya wargo: store list. https://wargo.jp/blogs/shop-list
44. Utena: Matomage styling stick, Super Hold. https://www.utena.co.jp/products/brand/matomage/matomage-stick-sh.html
45. Utena: Matomage styling stick, Regular. https://www.utena.co.jp/products/brand/matomage/matomage-stick-r.html
46. Kanzashi-ya wargo: orders from overseas. https://wargo.jp/pages/overseasorder