Kyoto Kumihimo Braids

Both twisted cord and simple braided cord were used in everyday life during the Jomon period (ca. 10,000 - ca. 300 B.C). Kyoto braided cord is reported to have appeared in the Heian period (794-1185) but techniques in the making of practical braided cord developed in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) as the use of armor increased. Production of cord for haori, short kimono jackets, started in the Edo period (1600-1868).

Cord has been used for more than a thousand years and has been utilized in every conceivable way at temples and shrines, on clothes, helmets and sword knots. The method of braiding depends upon its use but there upward of 3,500 variations. Since the Meiji period (1868-1926), it has been used for obi ties and accessories. Today there are 53 firms employing 362 staff, among whom 24 are government recognized Master Craftsmen.