Ayame gasa (iris hats), a traditional craft of Itako City, Ibaraki Prefecture, have long been an essential item for farm work in this region, where rice is an early-season harvest. The hats are woven from rush grass, and young women who operate the local sappa boats wear them along with navy blue robes. Ayame gasa not only protect wearers from sun and rain but are also believed to protect the body from misfortune and disaster. In the past, an ayame hat was placed on a bride's head at the wedding to ward off misfortune and pray for a lifetime of harmony and happiness for the couple.