Shikano sugegasa

The sugegasa is a type of straw hat used by those working in farming and other outdoor occupations. 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.

The town of Shikano retains its elegant streets as well as a system of waterways dating back to its days as a castle town, once ruled by Kamei Korenori (1557-1612), military commander during the Warring States period. The sound of flowing water accentuates the calmness and tranquility of the surroundings.

At the start of the Edo period, the famous local general Kamei Korenori encouraged farmers to make sedge hats for extra income during the agricultural slack season.This is how Shikano sedge hats are believed to have started.

As cheap plastic raincoats began to spread, and widening job opportunities for married women led to fewer craftswomen working by hand, Shikano’s sedge hat production started to decline.

Shikano Sedge Hat Preservation Society is involved in the whole process of growing and processing sedge, and then making and selling hats produced in Shikano. It also promotes technical exchange with producers in other prefectures, like Fukae Sedge-Craft Preservation Society in Osaka prefecture, which makes hats for festivals to celebrate the succession of an emperor (Daijō-sai).In order that the craft may be passed on to future generations, the Society also demonstrates techniques of sedge-hat production to junior-high school students so they can appreciate the hats’ quality and charm.

The first step in sedge-hat making involves building a frame of long-jointed bamboo. At the peak of production in the early Shōwa period, men made the frames, while women and children were in charge of sewing on the sedge stems.

Known as shitaji maki in Japanese, this process involves attaching sedge strips around the underside of the frame, with the glossy side of the sedge facing down to create a smooth surface on the inside where the head comes into direct contact with the hat.

The outer layer of sedge strips are then sewn together, one by one, using cotton thread. This two-layered structure makes the hat rain- and windproof. If you listen carefully to the towns people working at the community centre, you can hear the threads being passed through the sedge strips.

Recently,people have started buying Shikano sedge hats as decorative objects as well as to wear, and makers are using smaller stitches to ensure the hats last for many years. Another way these hats are being enjoyed by visitors is the Shikano Sedge Hat Gourmet Platter (Shikano Sugegasa Gozen), where sedge hats are used as plates to hold cuisine made using a variety of the region’s vegetables. This looks, and tastes, like a luxury dish. It is available at Yume Komichi restaurant.

Besides being a traditional craft, Shikano’s sedge hat business has a part to play in the renewal of the town. Many everyday utensils are woven from kasasuge sedge strips, creating new craft items that continue to delight visitors.