Shōgun

Courtesan Dress

Courtesans were distinguished from other Japanese ladies by their "exotic" appearance to Japanese eyes. &nbsp;They tried to emulate what they thought was Chinese fashion. &nbsp;They wore fancy silk kosodes, and their obi (sash) was different from the typical obi of the time. &nbsp;It consisted of a long braided cord with long tassels at both ends and was called “Nagoya obi.” &nbsp;The courtesan would wrap the cord around her body in several layers and tie it in a bow at the back with the long tassels hanging down. &nbsp;The name Nagoya comes from the place in Kyushu where Hideyoshi conducted his Korean campaign. &nbsp;It was associated with imported foreign objects, things coming from overseas through Nagoya in Kyushu. &nbsp;By adopting this foreign-looking obi, the courtesans tried to appear exotic.The hairstyle of courtesans was also different from that of ordinary women. &nbsp;After parting the hair in the middle, the topknot was made of two to four loops of hair tied together in a circle at the top of the head, and the excess hair was wrapped around the base of the loops and tied high. &nbsp;This hairstyle was called karawamage, which means “Chinese hairstyle.”In this way, courtesans tried to look exotic in order to attract customers. &nbsp;The distinct appearance of the geisha developed much later, in the Edo period.&nbsp;

Falconry Costume

When engaged in falconry, the samurai wore special “hunting clothes.” &nbsp;This was called karishōzoku and had some special features:1) Ayai-gasa: straw hat. The hats were made of rushes woven in a twill pattern with a silk lining.&nbsp;2) Yugote: A basket bag made of cloth or leather that covered the body from the shoulders to the tips of the hands.3) Suikan: A kind of kimono for hunting, also called kariginu.4) Karibakama: The kariginu was worn with a hunting hakama (karibakama). &nbsp;The hunting hakama was made with a cord that was tied at the hem and was narrower and shorter than an official hakama. &nbsp;This type of hakama was originally made of linen, but silk was also used, especially for high-ranking warriors such as Toranaga.5) Utsubo: Bamboo shaft with black lacquer and leather.6) Mono-i-gutsu: Shoes made of tanned leather, coated with black lacquer, with folds at the toes.&nbsp;7) Mukabaki: Deerskin coat covering the legs from the waist down.8) Yugake: Leather gloves.

Jesuit Attire

When the Jesuits first arrived in Japan in 1549, they decided to wear the same colored silk robes as the Buddhist monks in order to blend in with the Japanese cultural environment. &nbsp;However, in 1570, the new head of the Jesuit mission, Francisco Cabral, forbade the Jesuits to wear silk robes. &nbsp;They were ordered to wear the official black Jesuit habit. When Alessandro Valignano (Dell'Aqua in Shōgun) arrived in Japan in 1579 as Visitor of Missions, he also banned the wearing of other clothes than the black Jesuit dress.This regular Jesuit dress consisted of black cotton clothing with black cotton cassocks. &nbsp;A black cape (ferraioli) was sometimes worn over the cassocks. &nbsp;A black beret was used as a head covering. &nbsp;Under their cassocks they sometimes wore a white collar and a white shirt.In the Namban screens (folding screens depicting the Namban or "Western barbarians" in Japan) of that period, Japanese artists always portrayed the Jesuits in these black garments. &nbsp;This attire was essentially foreign to Japanese dress and attracted their attention. &nbsp;For William Adams (Blackthorne in Shōgun), their Protestant enemy, the black cassocks looked even more intimidating.

Samurai Fashion

Fashion was an integral part of samurai culture. &nbsp;Unlike the samurai of the late Heian and Kamakura periods, whose attire was largely limited to the simple hitatare, samurai in the Sengoku period experimented with several new types of clothing, such as kosodes, kamishimos, dōfukus, and jinbaoris. &nbsp;For these garments they used the finest and most extravagant fabrics and colors.Everyday AttireThe basic garment of the samurai in the Sengoku period was the kosode. &nbsp;This was a robe with a wide body and two large sleeves. &nbsp;While commoners wore kosodes made of hemp or linen, the samurai's kosode was usually made of silk and decorated with family crests and other elaborate patterns. &nbsp;The name kosode (lit. "small sleeves") comes from the narrow opening of the cuffs, as opposed to the ōsode (lit. "large sleeves") worn by the nobility. &nbsp;The kosode was also shorter than today's kimono, allowing more room for easy movement.&nbsp;The kosode was held together by a silk sash called an obi. &nbsp;In the Sengoku period, this obi was much narrower than the ones used with kimonos today. &nbsp;Because of its narrowness, it could easily be tied in front of the body. Samurai also used the obi to hold their swords (katana and wakizashi).Samurai occasionally wore pants-like garments over their kosode. &nbsp;These were called yono-bakama and were attached to the body with a waist cord.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div>Hair StylesIn the Sengoku period, men shaved the top of their heads and the forehead, leaving only the hair on the back and sides of the head in a crescent shape. &nbsp;Hair in the back was pulled into ponytails of various shapes. &nbsp;This hairstyle was called sakayaki and was the forerunner of the chonmage style of the Edo period.&nbsp;&nbsp;Samurai warriors wore armor and helmets in battle, but in Japan's humid climate, their heads became hot and sweaty under these helmets. &nbsp;To solve this problem, they shaved their hair in the areas that caused the most discomfort. &nbsp;At first, they let their hair grow back after the war, but in the Sengoku period, the wars became incessant and the samurai kept their hair in the sakayaki style all the time.This type of haircut was a painful process because the hair was pulled out rather than shaved. &nbsp;Therefore, the sakayaki hairstyle became a symbol of “manhood.” &nbsp;Ordinary people imitated the samurai, and by the beginning of the 16th century, all men who reached adulthood wore this hairstyle.&nbsp;Formal DressHigh-ranking samurai or samurai on castle duty or visiting their lords were usually dressed in formal attire. &nbsp;Samurai dress was made formal by adding a kataginu and a hakama to their kosode. &nbsp;A kataginu was a short, sleeveless, formal type of vest worn over a kosode, while a hakama was a formal type of pant. &nbsp;Much longer than the yono-bakama and fairly straight, the hakama reached to the ankles and had a waistband, giving it a stiff, formal appearance. &nbsp;The kataginu and hakama were worn as a set. &nbsp;Together they were called "kamishimo," which literally means “top and bottom.”As an alternative to a kataginu, samurai sometimes wore a dōfuku. &nbsp;This was a kind of coat with sleeves and a wide collar. &nbsp;Another type of coat was the jinbaori, like the kataginu a sleeveless vest, but worn over armor. &nbsp;The jinbaori came in a variety of fancy shapes and fabrics, mostly wool, silk or velvet, and sometimes leather.&nbsp;Ceremonial DressWhen warlords gathered for official meetings at Osaka Castle or other ceremonial events, they wore ceremonial dress called hitatare. Originally worn by samurai who served in the emperor's court, the hitatare evolved into ceremonial dress after the samurai's everyday attire was replaced by more wearable kosodes and kamishimos.The hitatare consisted of a top and bottom garment. &nbsp;Hitatare literally means "straight hanging garment." &nbsp;The name comes from the fact that the upper garment has no gusset and the collar is sewn vertically. &nbsp;The sleeves of the hitatare were much wider and longer than those of a kosode, hence the name kosode, which means "short, narrow sleeves." &nbsp;A short, thin hakama was worn underneath, and the hem of the hitatare was tucked into the hakama. &nbsp;To prevent the seams of the sleeves or collar from unraveling, braided cords were tied at key points, and the excess cord was shaped into a chrysanthemum flower (called kikutoji).Part of the ceremonial costume was a hat called eboshi. &nbsp;This hat was made of a thin cloth. &nbsp;It was basically a standing hat, but the samurai folded it. &nbsp;Only the back of the hat was unfolded, because there had to be room for the hair, which was tied in a topknot at the back of the head. &nbsp;The hat was fastened to the topknot with a small cord inside the hat. &nbsp;This stabilized the hat on the head. &nbsp;Another cord was tied under the chin for additional stability.

Women's Dress in the Sengoku Period

In the Sengoku period, the kimono as we know it today didn't exist yet. &nbsp;At that time, men and women wore kosodes, the predecessors of kimonos. &nbsp;Both kosodes and kimonos are simple garments consisting of a body and two large sleeves held together at the waist by a sash called an obi. &nbsp;This garment is similar to a modern bathrobe, which in fact originated from the kosode.Kosodes differ from modern kimonos in that they were much wider and had narrower sleeves (kosode means 'small sleeve', as opposed to the wider sleeves of earlier times). &nbsp;While a kimono is tied more tightly, showing the body's contours, a kosode could be worn loosely, allowing for easy movement necessary in an age of war and unrest.Another striking difference from today's kimono was the use of a narrow obi instead of the very wide ones used today. &nbsp;Unlike the complicated way the modern obi is tied, the kosode obi was simply tied in a knot at the front of the body.Women of high rank, such as Ochiba, Mariko, and Fuji, wore luxurious kosode made of silk, embroidered all over, often with gold thread, and beautifully colored with the elaborate tie-dye technique of tsujiga-hana. &nbsp;They usually wore two or three layers of kosode, blending the different color patterns of each kosode into harmonious color combinations. &nbsp;The innermost kosode was usually white.Upper-class women wore an uchikake (outer garment) over their kosode. &nbsp;Essentially, an uchikake had almost the same structure as a kosode, but was longer and tailored to be worn over a kosode. &nbsp;In summer, it was worn at the waist, and when outdoors, it was often worn on the head to prevent the uchikake from dragging on the ground and to protect the wearer from the sun. &nbsp;This garment had even more elaborate decorations that distinguished the wearer from the common people. &nbsp;It was made of the finest silk and embroidery, called uki-orimono, was used lavishly. &nbsp;In uki-orimono, the threads of the patterned part were woven by floating them on the surface.Not only the dress was different from later periods. &nbsp;The elaborate Japanese hairstyles typical of the late Edo period were not yet in vogue. Upper-class women wore their hair long and hanging down, with the sides cut shorter than the rest of the hair. &nbsp;This is still called the 'hime ("princess") cut.' &nbsp;The ladies often wore their hair in ponytails, with hair ornaments made of Japanese paper, braid, or silk used to tie the hair.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Get the latest news and exclusives from FX including show premieres and more.

Toranaga’s costume and wig are adjusted in between shots for FX's Shōgun

Costumes from FX's Shōgun

FX Shōgun Costumes | Viewers Guide

Toranaga’s costume and wig are adjusted in between shots for FX's Shogun

Home

Watch

Episode Guide

Characters

Locations

Timeline & History

Inside Shōgun

Podcast

Soundtrack

Video Extras

FX Home

A thread woven through time.

Intricate detail went into every stitch and fold of FX's Shōgun's costumes. Using historical documents and art, the costumers and designers behind the show constructed hundreds of original pieces to dress everyone from the Taiko to the fisherman. Regal kosodes, courtesan hairstyles, and Portuguese Jesuit robes — explore the unique styles and rituals of 1600 Japanese fashion.

Courtesans Kiku and Gin stand facing Lady Mariko in Ajiro Village on FX’s Shogun

Courtesans Kiku and Gin in Ajiro Village on FX’s Shogun

Courtesans Kiku and Gin stand in Ajiro Village on FX’s Shogun

Toranaga riding a white horse holding a falcon

Close up of costume from the set of FX's Shogun

Side profile of Ochiba dressed in a dark purple uchikake on the set of Shogun