Hair historian Rachael Gibson explained to W Magazine that the haircut has an even more impressive history. She says that the haircut was popularized by noblewomen, noting that they originated the look. "The Hime, or princess cut, is named for the noblewomen who would have originally worn the style."
Gibson adds that far from simply being a unique aesthetic style, the haircut has a lot of symbolism. "It combines two styles: longer hair at the back, with blunt, shorter sections on either side at the front. These shorter front lengths would have been cut during the ceremony of Binsogi; an event that celebrates coming of age with a haircut. The combination of these two cuts led to a new style: Hime" (via W Magazine).
Japan Info also explains that only women who could afford to maintain the hairstyle would cut their hair this way, thus displaying their social status to everyone they met. The hairstyle is one that requires a fair bit of upkeep and maintenance, and that requires women to style it every day — something that only women who have a lot of leisure time could do.
