角隠し — Tsunokakushi: Hiding the Horns
2026-10-21
角隠し — Tsunokakushi: Hiding the Horns
Do you know what the traditional headwear worn by a Japanese bride is called?
Do you know what the traditional headwear worn by a Japanese bride is called?
It is called 角隠し (tsunokakushi).
角 (tsuno) means “horns.”
隠し (kakushi) means “hiding.”
隠し (kakushi) means “hiding.”
So it literally means “hiding the horns.”
Whose horns?
The bride’s.
That is the interesting part.
The traditional message was not simply about beauty, purity, or elegance. The bride was covering her horns—symbolically hiding jealousy, anger, stubbornness, and temper as she entered married life.
In other words, tsunokakushi was a reminder:
You may look beautiful today, but remember—you are the one with the horns.
By modern standards, that sounds terribly unfair. Why does the bride have horns? What about the groom?
But Japanese traditions do not always survive because they fit modern ideas. Sometimes they are interesting precisely because they show us how people once thought.
And perhaps there is still a little wisdom—and humor—in it.
Marriage begins with love, ceremony, beautiful clothes…and apparently one person being reminded to keep her horns hidden.
Welcome to married life.
Disclaimer: I use AI as a tool to help create images and proofread my writing. However, the ideas, opinions, experiences, and messages in my posts are my own. AI does not generate my posts for me. It simply helps me present my own words and ideas more clearly.
Kenichi Uchikura
Founder & CEO
Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. (PSPINC)
Uchikura & Co., LLC.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
I was born and raised in Japan and have spent most of my adult life in the United States. Through this blog, I share Japanese culture, language, expressions, and wisdom. My goal is not to say one culture is better, but to explore different perspectives and what we can learn from them.
Your comments are always welcome.
..-･**･-....-･･-..__..-･･-....-･**･-..
Kenichi Uchikura
Founder & CEO
Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. (PSPINC)
Uchikura & Co., LLC.
..-･**･-....-･･-..__..-･･-....-･**･-..
ABOUT THIS BLOG
I was born and raised in Japan and have spent most of my adult life in the United States. Through this blog, I share Japanese culture, language, expressions, and wisdom. My goal is not to say one culture is better, but to explore different perspectives and what we can learn from them.
Your comments are always welcome.
..-･**･-....-･･-..__..-･･-....-･**･-..