Last night I was watching Kagemusha by Akira Kirosawa (great film, a must watch), and strangely became curious about the haircuts of the various daimyos, and their retainers. Each rank appeared to have a different hair style.
What started these various hairstyles and what were their meanings?
Frankly I only know of the common topknot ("Chonmage") which was mostly done as a way to ensure that the kabuto helmet would fit snugly on one's head. The idea was that the topknot would be able to fit through a small hole in the helmet. Over time, while this tradition was forgotten, as the bushi and local daimyo began to take power, they continued using topknots as it was a sign of their military prowess.