The is a small, black, box-shaped hat traditional to Japan, which (mountain ascetic hermits) of wear on their foreheads. The has been worn since the Kamakura period (1185–1333) or the Muromachi period (1336–1573).[1]
The is one of the standard items which wear as a uniform. When practising in the deep mountains, they wear, a set consisting of upper robe and trousers, Yuigesa (Japanese: 結袈裟), a harness or sash adorned with pom-poms on the body, (Buddhist Prayer beads) on the side, a on the head, Kyahan (Japanese: 脚絆), on the calves, sandals made from straw, hold Shakujō (Japanese: 錫杖), a metal rod, in their hands, wear Oi (Japanese: 笈), a kind of backpack, and, a box borne on the shoulders containing prayers, paperwork and writing supplies, and blow a Horagai (Japanese: 法螺貝) (conch-shell horn). These sacred items may guard them from the malicious spirits, thus they are safe in the deep forests. This style was established in the Kamakura or Muromachi period, and the contemporary keep this tradition today.
, dangerous yet protective spirits of the mountains and forests, are depicted in the style of, and are also shown wearing the .[2] [3]
The is usually a small, black box-shaped hat, which is made of lacquered and hardened cloth or wood. The top of the looks like a small round tower. It has the pentagonal box shape, and twelve folds surround this pentagon.
Its pentagonal form represents, the jeweled crown of the five wisdoms, which is the crown of the buddha Vairocana.[4] Twelve folds represent ; the color black represents the kleshas of human beings.
There are also different forms of . Large-type cover the head entirely.
In common and modern Japanese, the word is rendered in kanji like the word, another type of Japanese headgear that mainly wraps or folds cloth to cover the head and face;[5] however, despite being written identically, and are quite different.