Types of Kanzashi, Explained: Hana, Bira, Tama, Kushi, and More
"Kanzashi" is a single word for a wide range of objects. Some are combs, some are pins, some are silk flowers, some are metalwork that sways when you move. What groups them together isn't shape — it's purpose: a kanzashi is made to be seen in the hair, not hidden by it.
This article sorts kanzashi by structure — what the piece is physically built from and how it holds in the hair — rather than by occasion or custom. For a general introduction, see our guide to what a kanzashi is.
Hana-kanzashi (花簪) — flower kanzashi
A hana-kanzashi is built from fabric flowers. Small squares of silk are folded into individual petals with tweezers, then assembled into a flower — a technique called tsumami-zaiku. This is our own specialty at Oharibako, and it's the type of kanzashi we make almost exclusively.
A single hana-kanzashi can use a great many petals — some of our pieces use more than 120 petals on one comb. We've written a separate article on exactly how we build one, from cutting silk to final assembly.
Hana-kanzashi: how we make them
Bira-kanzashi (びら簪) — dangling metal kanzashi
A bira-kanzashi has thin metal strips that hang from the main body and sway with movement. The strips can be plain or stamped with a fine pattern, and they're often combined with a hana-kanzashi flower mounted at the top, so the flower stays still while the strips below it catch the light and move.
Tama-kanzashi (玉簪) — ball kanzashi
A tama-kanzashi is the simplest form: a single pin topped with one ball, traditionally coral, jade, or glass. There's no flower, no metalwork detail — just a clean stem and a round finish. It's a quiet, minimal kanzashi by design, often worn on its own rather than paired with anything else.
Kushi (櫛) — decorative comb
A kushi is a comb worn as an accent, not primarily to hold hair in place. The teeth are usually shallow and closely set, and the top edge — the part that shows — is where the decoration sits, whether that's lacquer, inlay, or a hana-kanzashi flower built directly onto the comb's spine.
Hirauchi (平打) — flat disc kanzashi
A hirauchi is a flat, disc-shaped kanzashi, usually metal, engraved or worked with a pattern or family crest. It sits close to the head rather than standing up or hanging down, which makes it one of the more understated forms.
Combined forms
A single kanzashi often mixes more than one of the above. A hana-kanzashi flower mounted above swaying bira strands is a common combination — you get the stillness of the flower and the movement of the metal in one piece. There is also a long tradition, still followed by maiko and geiko in Kyoto's hanamachi districts, of wearing hana-kanzashi that change with the season. That world has its own customs and its own history, and it isn't ours to explain here — we'll only note that it exists.
How kanzashi attach: modern fittings
The type of kanzashi (hana, bira, tama, and so on) describes the ornament itself. Separately, there's the question of how it attaches to the hair, and that's changed over time:
- Comb base — the traditional form for kushi and many hana-kanzashi, slid into the hair like any comb.
- Kanzashi pin — a single straight or forked pin, pushed through gathered hair or a bun.
- U-pin (double-pronged pin) — two thin prongs that grip a small section of hair. This is the easiest fitting for hair that isn't styled up, and it's the one we use most often for pieces meant to be worn casually.
- Clip (alligator or French clip) — a spring-hinged clip, the simplest option for fine or short hair, or for attaching a kanzashi to a hat, bag, or collar instead of hair.
We build the same hana-kanzashi flower onto different bases depending on how it's meant to be worn. For more on how to choose and use one, see our guide on wearing a kanzashi.
Kanzashi bases and findings, explained
About Oharibako (Kyoto)
Oharibako has been making kanzashi and kimono accessories in Nishijin, Kyoto, for 80 years, now in its third generation. We are one of only two shops in Kyoto certified by the City of Kyoto for hana-kanzashi under its Certified Kyoto Handcraft Store program. Every step happens in our own workshop — dyeing, cutting, folding, and assembly.