It is well known all over Japan “as Yano-cho, kamoji (rat).” Kamoji means “false hair” put into or added to a woman’s own hair to arrange a hairstyle when a woman sets Japanese-style hair with her own, which includes in a wider sense a “wig.

” Kamoji manufacturing was started by Osakaya Kichibei in Yano during the Kanei Period, the beginning of the Edo Era about 350 years ago. The peak of the kamoji industry was from the end of the Meiji Era to the beginning of the Showa Era, and Yano accounted for 70% of the total production of kamoji in Japan and 80% of all the townspeople were involved in kamoji manufacturing.
At that time, the reason for the flourishing kamoji manufacturing was the characteristic locality of Yano-cho. As clay called “hige clay,” which is best as a process for removing oil from human hair, the most difficult of the processes of kamoji manufacturing were extensively produced in Yano-cho and rich waters from the valley flowed through the town which was suitable for washing kamoji and because of them, Yano-cho boasted of the largest production volume in Japan.

Kamoji itself is not produced in Yano-cho now and only one company continues the traditional techniques of “Yano Kamoji,” but fashionable hair pieces and medical wigs are mainly produced applying the technique of “hand implanting” of Japanese hair wigs.