A recent viral video by travel vlogger Shervin Abdolhamidi shines a light on one of Japan’s most unusual spiritual destinations. Nestled deep in the serene Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto is the Mikami Shrine, apparently the world's only spiritual site dedicated entirely to hair health and the cure for baldness.
While Kyoto is fabled for its golden temples and old-world geisha districts, Mikami serves as another kind of refuge. It has become a pilgrimage site for those battling thinning hair and receding hairlines, along with the general neuroses of hair loss. Visitors often make the trek of more than a mile through the picturesque outskirts of the city to register their prayers for a fuller head of hair.
The process of seeking divine intervention at Mikami is as specific as the shrine’s purpose. Abdolhamidi, whose Instagram footage brought the site to the attention of the world, described the peculiar ritual. "You buy a prayer envelope and then the priest cuts a small strand of your hair and puts it in the envelope," he said.
With the offering made, visitors pray to the deity—or Kami—before handing the envelope back to the priest who then gives a blessing for the good health and growth of the hair of the well-wisher. While many visitors go due to mere curiosity, the shrine has also become a source of hope for people grappling with the challenges of damaged hair.
Paying tribute to the first barber
The history of the shrine is traced back to the Kamakura era and is connected to the story of Fujiwara Unemenosuke Masayuki, the first professional hairstylist recognised to come from Japan. Masayuki allegedly opened the hairstyling business as a means to earn money to take care of his family.
Now, Mikami is a mecca not only to those who suffer from balding, but to the beauty industry in general. Individuals wanting to become beauticians and barbers come to pray for success in the tough national exams that students in Japan must face. Such is the reverence for Masayuki that many Japanese salons traditionally close on the 17th of each month to honour the anniversary of his passing, proving that for many, hair care is indeed a sacred business.
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