Jusanya
Boxwood combs from Shinkyogoku, Kyoto — handcrafted for 150 years to care for Japanese hair.
Jusanya is a Kyoto comb maker established in 1875 on Shinkyogoku — the covered shopping arcade near Shijo Street in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto — specializing in handcrafted boxwood (tsuge) combs and hair accessories. Japanese boxwood combs have been used for centuries for hair grooming: the wood's fine, dense grain produces extremely smooth teeth that glide through hair without snagging, and the natural oils in boxwood transfer to the hair during combing, providing conditioning and adding luster without synthetic products. Jusanya produces tsuge combs in the traditional hand-craft methods — each comb cut, filed, polished, and finished by hand — alongside pure camellia oil (tsubaki abura) for hair care.
PROFILE Company & Brand Story
Jusanya has made tsuge (boxwood) combs on Shinkyogoku in Kyoto since 1875 — a street associated with traditional goods, crafts, and temple culture in Japan's historic imperial capital. The tradition of boxwood comb making in Kyoto predates the shop's founding by centuries: Japanese women's hair culture, and the craft tools that supported it, were historically centered in the capital, where the court and aristocratic traditions set standards for hair practice that filtered throughout Japanese society.
Tsuge (boxwood) is the definitive material for Japanese fine-tooth combs. Boxwood grows slowly, producing an extremely dense, fine-grained wood that can be worked to smooth, splinter-free surfaces. The teeth of a well-made tsuge comb have no micro-roughness that would catch or break individual hair strands — they glide through the hair with continuous, even contact. This is a material property that synthetic combs, regardless of surface treatment, cannot fully replicate.
Beyond the smooth surface, boxwood has a natural oil content that transfers to the hair during combing — conditioning the strands and adding a subtle luster without the need for applied hair products. Over time, a well-used tsuge comb acquires a patina from this oil transfer and from contact with the hair's natural oils, darkening and developing a character that reflects the history of its use.
Jusanya's combs are made by hand: the boxwood is cut to comb blanks, the teeth are marked and cut, and each tooth is filed and polished by skilled craftspeople using traditional techniques. The finishing process determines the surface quality of the comb — the difference between a tooth that flows through hair and one that snatches at it is measured in surface smoothness imperceptible to the eye but clearly felt by the hair.
The sukashibori carved flower comb represents the decorative dimension of Jusanya's craft: a comb with openwork carving in floral designs, combining functional use with the aesthetic sophistication of traditional Kyoto decorative craft. The chirimen (crepe silk) portable case is a traditional Japanese textile case for protecting the comb during travel.
Tsuge boxwood — dense, fine-grained wood that conditions hair naturally
Boxwood grows slowly, producing an extremely dense wood with a fine grain that can be finished to a smooth, splinter-free surface. Tsuge comb teeth glide through hair without micro-roughness that catches or breaks strands. The wood's natural oil content transfers to the hair during combing — conditioning and adding luster without applied products. These are material properties that synthetic combs cannot replicate.
Handcrafted in Kyoto since 1875 — traditional comb making on Shinkyogoku
Jusanya has made tsuge combs on Shinkyogoku in Kyoto since 1875. Each comb is cut, filed, and polished by hand using traditional techniques that determine surface quality. The finishing work — invisible to the eye, felt by the hair — is the product of craft skill developed across 150 years of continuous production.
Pure camellia oil — traditional Japanese hair care companion
Jusanya also offers pure tsubaki (camellia) oil — the traditional Japanese hair oil used for centuries alongside wooden combs. Applied before combing, camellia oil reduces friction, adds luster, and protects the hair. The oil and comb together represent the traditional Japanese hair care practice as a complete system.
PRODUCTS Featured Products & Services
Jusanya Tokigushi Standard Comb — Japanese Boxwood Tsuge Comb
The standard tsuge boxwood comb from Jusanya, Kyoto. Dense boxwood, hand-filed and polished teeth, smooth glide through hair. Natural wood oils condition hair during combing. Made on Shinkyogoku since 1875.
View DetailsJusanya Sukashibori Comb (Flower) — Japanese Carved Boxwood Comb
A tsuge boxwood comb with openwork floral carving from Jusanya. Decorative sukashibori (carved openwork) design in the comb body, functional tooth spacing for everyday use. Kyoto craft for hair and display.
View DetailsJusanya Set Comb with Handle — Japanese Boxwood Dressing Comb
A tsuge boxwood comb with handle from Jusanya — the traditional Japanese set comb for dressing hair at a mirror. Handcrafted in Kyoto, smooth tooth finish, natural conditioning wood. For daily hair care ritual.
View DetailsJusanya Portable Case (Chirimen) — Crepe Silk Comb Case
A chirimen (Japanese crepe silk) portable case for Jusanya combs. Traditional textile case for protecting the comb during travel. Classic Kyoto textile wrapping for a classic Kyoto craft object.
View DetailsJusanya Pure Camellia Oil — Japanese Tsubaki Hair Oil
Pure tsubaki (camellia) oil from Jusanya. The traditional Japanese hair oil for use before combing: reduces friction, adds luster, protects the hair. The companion to a tsuge boxwood comb in traditional Japanese hair care practice.
View DetailsMEDIA Media, Awards & Initiatives
- Jusanya is recognized by Japanese and international beauty and traditional craft media as a definitive Kyoto boxwood comb maker, cited for its 150 years of continuous production on Shinkyogoku and for maintaining the hand-filing and polishing techniques that determine tsuge comb quality.
- Tsuge boxwood combs from Jusanya are regularly featured in Japanese hair care and traditional beauty media alongside camellia oil as a complete system for hair health — an alternative to synthetic hair products rooted in centuries of Japanese hair care tradition.