Shikano sugegasa

The sugegasa is a type of straw hat used by those working in farming and other outdoor occupations in Japan. Its woven structure allows a flow of air to the head on hot days, but the stems of the sedge expand in rainy weather to seal any gaps, making it waterproof. Each region has its own variation of the sugegasa. Straw hats from the Shikano region are made from a type of sedge called kasasuge. The cylindrical hat, topped with a “dragonfly knot”, has a beautiful crimson-red tinge. In order to achieve this red tone, the sedge has to be cropped at the base with a sickle, rather than harvesting by machine.