Hachimaki

Hachimaki is a traditional headband usually made with cloth and some kanji, typically Nippon Ichi (日本一). Hachimakis are worn for occasions such as studying for a big test, sports games, and office workers. The cloth itself is colored either white or red. On top of the red or white cloth, most hachimakis have a red or white circle in the middle to represent the flag of Japan. When wearing a hachimaki, it is meant to be a symbol of effort, hard work, perseverance, and the like, which many Japanese people like to associate with Japan as a country. More famously, the hachimaki was worn by the kamikaze pilots during World War II donning the kanji 神風 or kamikaze.