I recall reading somewhere that he only wore the hat because John Ford wore a hat like it as well. It might've been in Steven Prince's book, or maybe in a documentary. I can't remember. <br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Thu, Jan 6, 2011 at 1:16 PM, <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mccaskem@georgetown.edu">mccaskem@georgetown.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
Since we got into the area of clothing with respect to film, it seems an<br>
appropriate time to ask about Kurosawa's trademark hat. I've always wondered.<br>
<br>
It's sold today as the "Kurosawa Marine Cap"<br>
<br>
<a href="http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/ishiihat/91b.html" target="_blank">http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/ishiihat/91b.html</a><br>
<br>
But it is somewhat reminiscent of a pre-war Japanese Naval Officer's Cap<br>
<br>
<a href="http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/ishiihat/m-400.html" target="_blank">http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/ishiihat/m-400.html</a><br>
<br>
I once attempted some research on the subject, and it seemed that, according to<br>
Japanese sources, perhaps this kind of Japanese cap was originally modeled after<br>
a cap that Prince Heinrich (brother of Wilhelm II) wore in a famous yacht race<br>
against King Edward VII. That seems arcane to me.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prinz-Heinrich-Muetze.jpg" target="_blank">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prinz-Heinrich-Muetze.jpg</a><br>
<br>
This does not appear much different from a Greek fisherman's cap, which seems<br>
quite different from the Kurosawa Model.<br>
<br>
If someone knows the origin of the Kurosawa Hat, it would be great to find out<br>
what it really was. Was this a common cap in the old days? One does not see<br>
anyone wearing this kind of cap these days, though apparently you can still buy<br>
and wear one if you really wish to.<br>
<br>
Many Thanks,<br>
<br>
Michael McCaskey<br>
GU<br>
</blockquote></div><br>