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Mr. Sato reminds us that when the going gets hot, the hot get straw hats

Master Blaster Jul 30, 2024
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Normalize Raiden hats!

In hindsight, this spring in Japan was rather nice. It seemed a little longer than usual before giving way to the rainy season. However, summer has kicked in with a vengeance and relentlessly stifling heat. It’s times like this where we have to make sacrifices in order to cope and for Mr. Sato that sacrifice came in the name of fashion.

It was last year that he discovered the sandogasa, a Japanese take on those round straw hats used all over Asia, primarily by farmers and wandering travelers like pilgrims. Despite its almost blindingly antiquated look, these hats are a marvel of cranial cooling engineering which provides both shade and airflow where it counts.

Mr. Sato didn’t end up going many places last year, so he decided to donate his sandogasa to the crew working on fixing up our super-cheap house in the countryside.

Now, with the heat back again, our reporter regretted his decision but he couldn’t ask for his original hat back. After all, a roaming samurai in his sandogasa would never renege on their gift.

So, he hopped on Amazon and bought an ajirogasa for 1,770 yen (US$11.51). As you can probably see, the difference between this bamboo hat and his previous one lies largely in the shape.

Mr. Sato’s old sandogasa was 46 centimeters (18 inches) in diameter, making it very hard to carry and store. That’s why he made sure to get a slightly smaller hat, with this one measuring 39 centimeters (15 inches) wide and 18 centimeters (7 inches) tall.

Also, our writer had to assemble his previous sandogasa himself, but his ajirogasa was already put together when it arrived.

They even used cable ties, just like ancient Shinto priests used to keep their HDMI cords tidy.

Mr. Sato also recommends wrapping a traditional Prime Video towel around your head to keep it from getting slippery with sweat. This will also stop the bamboo band from leaving an imprint on your forehead.

Although it might look a little cumbersome, these hats are incredibly light and Mr. Sato could barely even notice it.

While his more conventional summer hat was also light, the polyester dome caused the heat from his overactive brain to accumulate.

But this problem was completely eliminated with his ajirogasa, which allows a steady flow of air to keep things at a reasonable temperature.

▼ “I can do math again!”

Although it tends to look out of place in modern urban Japan, the ajirogasa matches with a casual outfit of jeans and a T-shirt surprisingly well.

It also filled him with the sense of romance that comes with a long journey to new lands.

And when it’s not needed, the string lets you sling it to your backpack or belt loop for easy carrying.

Mr. Sato could even tie it to his fanny pack without a problem. The only thing you should worry about is bumping into other people in crowded places.

That’s really its only weakness though. Otherwise, it’s a superb accessory for combatting the unpleasant and dangerous heat of a Japanese summer. So, let’s all tip our sugegasa to Mr. Sato for trailblazing this ultra-retro fashion so that we might all be able to stay cool without others giggling behind our backs.

Related: Amazon Japan
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[ Read in Japanese ]