We went back to Yoshiko’s beautician a few days ago to pick up this calligraphy brush made from some of the hair collected at Gregory’s first haircut. As you can see, Greg’s full name and birth date are beautifully painted on there by someone who must have very tired eyes after doing a long foreign name. (Thankfully, no extra charge for so many characters.) I wonder if the artisan painted it with a brush made of his/her own child’s hair?

For the benefit of my fellow uncouth gaijin who may be in the position of ordering such a first haircut memento calligraphy brush in the future (apparently the company sends brochures to hairdressers, so ask there), I wondered aloud whether we should do next year’s nengajou with the brush, but Yoshiko and her stylist told me it’s not meant to be used.

For contrast, my mother saved a few locks of my then-blond hair from my first haircut. I don’t know why, but she sent me the envelope out of the blue a few years ago, shortly before she died.