Kasa (hat)

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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 used several types of jingasa made from iron or leather.

"Kasa" can translate as "shade" or "umbrella".

[edit] Types

Antique 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)
Sandogasa
Sugegasa (see Conical Asian hat)
Torioigasa
Takuhatsugasa
Yagyūgasa
Roningasa
Ajirogasa

[edit] See also

Yatarō gasa (弥太郎笠), Yataro’s Travel Hat - 1957 film by Kazuo Mori.

[edit] Gallery

A Buddhist monk wearing a takuhatsugasa.
The hat in this print is a fukaamigasa of the sort known as tengai (天蓋), worn by komusō, mendicant monks of Fuke Zen.
These women at the Awa Dance Festival wear the characteristic kasa of the dance.
Various jingasa from the Return of the Samurai, an exhibit of Samurai art and artifacts held in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria B.C. Canada, August 6 through November 14 2010.