Kyoto's comb festival honors used hair ornaments

A festival honoring combs and hair ornaments for their service has taken place at a shrine in the city of Kyoto.

Organizers, including local beauticians, hold the Comb Festival, or Kushi Matsuri, every year to express gratitude for worn-out combs and hairpins while hoping to pass down traditional hair-styling culture.

During Monday's festival, a Shinto ritual was held in front of a grave mound called Kushizuka at the city's Yasui Konpiragu Shrine. Beauty tools from across the nation were laid to rest.

A hairstyle show was also held, featuring women walking the stage to showcase hairstyles spanning from the ancient Kofun period to the modern day.

Beauticians who prepared a Kofun-period style -- featuring plants wrapped around the head -- and a gorgeous Edo-period look noted that these were recreated based on historical research.

A visitor said she used to immediately throw away broken combs, but the festival reminded her of the importance of treating tools with care.