Hachimaki: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Traditional headgear worn in Japan, known as ''hachimaki'', is a strip of cloth tied around the head. Think Daniel-san from ''[[The Karate Kid]]''. It is often decorated with a written slogan (frequently ''Nippon Ichi'', "No. 1 in Japan"), serving as a sort of tee shirt for the forehead. Commonly worn by warriors, protestors, students studying for exams, or anyone who needs to <s> keep sweat from dripping into their eyes</s> be serious and focused on something. Or by drunk [[Salaryman|salarymen]] (see [[Necktie Headband]]).

An iconic real-life use of this trope was in the fighter pilots of Japan during [[World War II]], when they wore bandanas bearing the word "Kamikaze" upon them, which up until that point, had been a reference to the "Divine Wind" that drove off the Mongol invasion of Japan centuries earlier.

 

 

{{examples}}

* ''[[Great Teacher Onizuka]]'': Worn by GTO when he's studying for a test. The slogan is, "I will pass the test".

* ''[[Naruto]]'': All ninja candidates are given headbands with the village's symbol carved into the metal forehead guard when they graduate the academy and become genin. Most of them continue to wear their headbands even after they become chunin, although [[Goggles Do Nothing|many wear it in places other than their heads]]. Kakashi, for instance, uses it as an [[Eyepatch of Power]].

** A scar across the village symbol of the hitai'ate indicates the wearer has chosen to abandon their village permanently, notably done by all members of Akatsuki. Zabuza never scarred his, as he intended to return (and take over).

** ''Azumanga Daioh'' also uses it in the festival in the last school year, where Kagura, Tomo and Sakaki dress as punks with these on.

* Takako Ayase in ''[[Midori no Hibi]]'' wears a headband titled "Definite Victory" as she reviews her latest plan to become Seiji Sawamura's girlfriend.

* In ''[[Bleach]]'', Urahara told Ichigo to wear a hachimaki and yell an embarrassing chant ''"Take this! The Power of Justice! Justice Armor, Justice Hachimaki! Equip!"'' to stand a chance on fighting his dangerous sparring partner that could kill him in one blow. He did so, but found out that he's just being had by Urahara.

* In the Yukina arc of ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'', Kuwabara infrequently wears a pink hachimaki that says something to the tune of "I ♥ Snow Girl"

* Wilder and Cancer in ''[[Transformers Super God Masterforce]]'' wear one each. In one episode, Cancer's hachimaki was a blindfold.

* Yoshiko Fujisawa made hachimakis for ''all'' her Furano teammates in ''[[Captain Tsubasa]]'', and they wore them during the match against Nankatsu. When their captain Hikaru Matsuyama entered the National Team, he ''always'' put his hachimaki on during his more crucial [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|CMOAs]] in the series.

* ''[[Sailor Moon]]'''s Makoto used this to psych herself up for the daunting task of cleaning Motoki's room.

* In ''[[Pokémon Special]]'', Platinum would take off her beanie and put on a hachimaki when training for her next Gym battle.

** Earlier, all of Gold's Pokémon put one on when they faced The Mask Of Ice during the finale of the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc, a reference to the Focus Band item of the games.

* Leorio does this in [[Hunter X Hunter]] while studying for the final exam. It's then revealed that he put cheat sheets on the back of it. And everywhere else in his clothes.

 

== [[Film]] ==

* As mentioned in the main body of this article, Daniel-san of ''[[The Karate Kid]]'', who was probably the first to introduce this concept to Western pop culture.

* Shows up in the [[So Bad It's Good]] flick "[[Surf Ninjas]]." ''Kwantzu!!''

** Similarly by the pilots in ''[[Pearl Harbor]]''.

* Whenever ''[[Rambo]]'' puts one of these on, you can be sure that ass kicking ensues.

* In ''[[Revenge of the Nerds]]'', Takashi dons one when preparing to go on the panty raid.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* Maudlin of Garry Kilworth's ''[[Welkin Weasels]]: Heastward Ho!'' borrows a red headband with a phrase written in [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|"Asian"]] letters on it when battling a pirate junk. He's very fond of the headband and assumes in his usual daydreamy manner that "''No doubt it read something like GREAT WARRIOR or UNDEFEATABLE ONE''". Nobody has the heart to tell him it actually reads "Number One Stir-Fry Chef".

* In ''The [[Wheel of Time]]'' many male [[Proud Warrior Race|Aiel]] loyal to [[The Chosen One|Rand]] wear a red headband with a [[Dragons Up the Yin-Yang|yin-yang symbol]] on their foreheads. His [[Amazon Brigade|Maidens of the Spear]] think this is ridiculous.

 

* During ''[[Top Gear]]'''s Japanese episode, Jeremy Clarkson wore one when he was racing the Bullet train in the new Nissan GTR.

 

== [[Professional Wrestling]] ==

== [[Video Games]] ==

* Worn by many characters in ''[[King of Fighters]]''. One of the special teams in ''KOF '98'' is actually called the "Headband Team": Goro Daimon, Joe Higashi and Yuri Sakazaki. Yuri's headband lacks the Japanese red sun, though, and the team's ending artwork shows the other two forcing a proper hachimaki on her.

** Just about everyone in the ''Mega Man Battle Network'' series seems to have their Navi symbol somewhere on themselves, either on their shirt, as their earrings, or even as their hairpins. As for someone else who also has something resembling a hairband, the nature-loving Sal has a brown hairband with Woodman's Navi symbol.

* The Hachimaki appears as a recurring item in the ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'' series of games. A pilot with the item equipped starts each mission with 5 bonus morale. There's also a Nejiri-Hachimaki, or twisted headband, which gives double the bonus.

** Additionally, the male protagonist in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald versions wears a headband. Unfortunately, the manga makes it out to be [[Did Not Do the Research|some sort of beanie]], while the game art makes it pretty clear it's a headband.

*** Since GF has basically done a [[Shrug of God]] and only confirmed it's a headband, Ruby (of [[Poke Spe]]) has a hat due to the artist thinking of it as so. Another, one volume, manga by another artist had it as a hat too, probably a [[Follow the Leader]] case.

* Sanada Yukimura from ''[[Sengoku Basara]]'' wears a red one. In the anime it comes in handy when, during the all-important [[Final Battle]], Yukimura's [[The Rival|rival]] Masamune is injured and can barely stand. Yukimura ties Masamune's hand to his sword with the headband in preparation their last strike.

* If you're going to list Sanada Yukimura from ''[[Sengoku Basara]]'' you might as well list the one from ''[[Samurai Warriors]]''. His is decorated with the crest of the Sanada Clan.

* [[Worms]] about to use a Fireball or Fire Punch (and sometimes the Kamikaze) will don a red one.

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Cranium Coverings]]

[[Category:Useful Notes/Japan]]

[[Category:Costume Tropes]]