Combs

Yukitaka Hihara

President of Tsubaki Co., Ltd. / 1965 Law

I have been manufacturing and selling camellia oil on Izu Oshima for 22 years. Our company produces skincare products using an unheated extra-virgin method using only domestic camellia oil. This time, I would like to consider boxwood combs and camellia oil from a skincare perspective.

Originally, boxwood combs were developed for combing Japanese hairstyles. Styling Japanese hair takes at least one to two hours. In particular, maiko sleep on high pillows to keep their hair from getting messy and maintain the style for about a week, which causes dandruff and dirt to accumulate on the scalp. To remove that dirt and moisturize the hair, boxwood comb teeth thinned to the limit and camellia oil were indispensable.

However, boxwood combs are meant for styling hair rather than the scalp, and there are concerns regarding hygiene. According to the latest research by our company and universities, new experimental results show that cleaning the scalp and moisturizing it with camellia oil is what grows healthy hair (scalp care). While the culture of boxwood combs and camellia oil is a beauty cultural heritage from a good era in Japan, it seems somewhat unsuitable for future hair care.

Yoshie Mizobe

Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University

While traveling in Taiwan, a person entered a cafe and opened the menu to find "Comb Melon Italian Noodles" (櫛瓜義大利麺) written there. What kind of dish could it be? "Comb Melon (櫛瓜) = Zucchini," "Italian (義大利) = Italy," so it refers to zucchini pasta. In Chinese-speaking households, zucchini has recently become established as a summer vegetable alongside the spread of Italian cuisine. Generally, it is called "Xi Hu Lu" in mainland China, "Jade Melon" in Hong Kong, and "Comb Melon" in Taiwan. The formal name for zucchini is "Summer Pumpkin," meaning it is originally a type of pumpkin. However, because the shape of a zucchini resembles the "Joint Melon" (節瓜), a type of winter melon, it came to be called "Joint Melon" or "Comb Melon" (櫛瓜) due to the similarity of the characters. It seems the notation "Comb Melon" is becoming established, perhaps to avoid confusion with the "Joint Melon." Unfortunately, it is currently a difficult time for free travel, but please try searching for "Comb Melon" online. You will likely see videos of delicious-looking dishes using zucchini, such as "Stir-fried Shredded Pork with Comb Melon."

Kayoko Takimoto

Professor, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University

In Spain, there is a large decorative comb called a peineta, made of tortoiseshell, ivory, or metal and decorated with openwork carving. When inserted into styled hair and covered with a veil called a mantilla, it becomes the formal dress for Spanish women. It is an old Western European custom for women to cover their heads with a veil; in the Catholic Church, women must still wear a veil when having a formal audience with the Pope. Only Catholics of the highest rank, such as queens and princesses, are permitted to use a white veil, and a Spanish queen would also use a peineta.

The spread of combs and veils was triggered by the excavation of the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the 18th century, which increased interest in ancient Roman decorative arts and architecture. It was discovered that ancient Romans adorned themselves with veils lifted by combs, and this became popular in Spain and France. However, it is no longer common in modern Spain and is rarely seen except for state events, weddings and funerals of royalty, nobility, or prestigious families, or when foreigners visiting Spain wear them as a form of cosplay.

Hiroyoshi Inoue

Professor, Department of Chemistry, School of Medicine, Keio University

Fukuoka City is divided into east and west by the Naka River flowing through the center of the city. The west side is the samurai town of "Fukuoka," and the east side is the merchant town of "Hakata." The guardian deity and grand tutelary shrine of Hakata is Kushida Shrine. This Kushida Shrine is said to have been established in 757 by transferring the deity from Kushida Shrine in Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture. The origin of "Kushi" (comb) seems to come from the legend that Yamato-hime no Mikoto dropped a comb in this area, though the details are unclear. What makes Hakata's Kushida Shrine famous is the Kushida Shrine Gion Grand Festival, the so-called Hakata Gion Yamakasa. The city of Hakata becomes completely immersed in Yamakasa in early July.

On the other hand, my own memories are quite mundane. When I was little, I would just go shopping at the Fuchigami Department Store next to Kushida Shrine and visit the shrine on the way back. Also, when I was attending high school near Kushida Shrine (Fukuoka High School), I was asked to help carry the Yamakasa several times because they were short on "kakite" (carriers). However, as an adolescent high school student, the feeling of embarrassment at wearing the "shimekomi" (loincloth) outweighed any sense of excitement. Even so, whenever I return to Hakata, I find myself naturally heading toward Kushida Shrine.