The origins of IGA Kumihimo (Braiding) are ancient, said to date back to before the Nara period.
During the Heian period, elaborate braided cords were used for Buddhist and Shinto religious items such as flat cords, sutra scrolls, flower baskets, and banners, using the Karakumi braiding technique. With the rise of the samurai class, the production of cords for armor and swords increased, giving rise to a braided cord culture centered on military equipment. After the Sword Abolition Edict and the collapse of the samurai society, the traditional braiding techniques of the Edo period have been cherished as essential obi sashes and haori cords for traditional Japanese clothing.

• Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques

  1. The yarn dyeing shall be done by "whole dyeing," "tie-dyeing," or "gradation dyeing."

  2. For assembly, use a high stand (including a "heavy striking stand"; the same applies hereinafter), a round stand, a square stand, a bamboo stand, or an inner stand.
  (1) When using a raised stand or a bamboo stand, use a spatula for "striking".
  (2) When creating a pattern using a raised base, the "antler pattern" method should be used.

   

  raw materials

  1. The threads used shall be raw silk or silk threads of equivalent quality, or gold or silver threads.

  2. The foil used shall be gold foil, silver foil, or foil having equivalent properties.

• Work scene

  Work scene

  The obi-jime, an indispensable supporting element of traditional Japanese clothing, is the epitome of traditional Japanese braiding techniques. Approximately 90% of the national production of hand-braided cords is made in Iga, located midway between Osaka and Nagoya, and it was designated a national traditional craft on December 15, 1976. The origins of IGA Kumihimo (Braiding) are said to date back to before the Nara period, and the production area had already been established during the Edo period. Kumihimo is made by braiding raw silk and silk threads, mainly with gold and silver threads, on traditional braiding stands such as the square stand, round stand, high stand, and twill bamboo stand, resulting in cords of delicate beauty.

  The process of IGA Kumihimo (Braiding) is divided into many steps. Here, we will introduce the main flow of the process.

  Step 1: Splitting the thread

  Thread splitting is the process of sorting the silk threads needed to make the required amount. The threads are weighed and divided by weight to determine the number of strands needed to make the cord.

  

  工程2： 染色

  In the dyeing process, subtle shades are carefully and evenly dyed to the specified color. The dye mixture is adjusted, and the yarn is immersed in this process, repeating this cycle to create variations in color intensity and depth. Depending on the design, blurring effects are also used. This is a meticulous process that requires considerable skill.

  

  Step 3: Thread winding

  The yarn is split, dyed, and then reeled into small bobbins using a reeling machine.

  

  Step 4: Length Measurement

  In the warp-laying process, the reeled threads are further wound onto a warp-laying frame. The outer circumference of the warp-laying frame is 4 feet, which is half the length of 8 feet required for one obi sash. The frame is rotated to adjust the length and number of threads needed for assembly.

  

  Step 5: Twisting

  The threads, whose length and weight are matched according to the warp length, are twisted using a twisting wheel called a "hatcho."

  

  Step 6: Assembly

  Beautiful braided cords are created using various braiding stands and machines. Braided cords can be broadly classified into three types: round braids, square braids, and flat braids. There are four types of braiding stands commonly used today: round stands, square stands, twill bamboo stands, and high stands. Each braiding stand has its own characteristics, so they are used according to the type of braid. Braided cords can be broadly classified into three types: round braids, square braids, and flat braids. There are four types of braiding stands commonly used today: round stands, square stands, twill bamboo stands, and high stands. Each braiding stand has its own characteristics, so they are used according to the type of braid.

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  工程7： 仕上げ

  The assembled cord is then sent to the finishing process, beginning with attaching the tassels to both ends. Each strand is carefully unraveled by hand, the tassels are securely tied with thread, and the tassels are then steamed and shaped. Finally, the braids are smoothed on a rolling board, completing the beautiful flat-braided obi cord.

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• Close-up

  Close-up

  IGA Kumihimo (Braiding), a type of braided cord that developed in a ninja village surrounded by mountains on all sides.

  The origins of IGA Kumihimo (Braiding) from Iga) are ancient, said to date back to before the Nara period, but its full-scale development as a local industry in Iga only began in the mid-Meiji era. Hand-braided obi sashes produced in Iga account for approximately 90% of the national production and are designated as a national traditional craft.

   

  It spread in the mid-Meiji period, coinciding with the popularization of traditional Japanese clothing.

  Around 1902, Tokusaburo Hirosawa learned the kumihimo (braiding) techniques of Edo and established a braiding factory in his hometown of Ueno City. Taking advantage of its proximity to Kyoto, the heartland of traditional Japanese clothing, the industry developed and became established, spreading throughout the Iga region. This time, we spoke with Moyuru Masui, the third-generation kumihimo craftsman, counting from her grandfather's generation.

  

  Ms. Masui is demonstrating the kumihimo (braided cord) technique on a raised platform at the Kumihimo Center.

  Infinite beauty unfolds within a narrow width.

  After graduating from a university in Tokyo, Mr. Masui worked as a salaryman in the Nagoya area for a while before returning to Ueno City at the age of 30 to take over the family business. "My wife said it was a scam, but my older and younger sisters had married into other families, so I, as the eldest son, had no choice but to return home." It was a rather late start for him as a kumihimo craftsman, but he learned the techniques by silently sitting beside his father. "Whenever I tried to come up with new and innovative designs, my father would often scold me, saying, 'The obi sash can't take on a life of its own.'"

  

  Posters showcasing the beauty of traditional IGA Kumihimo (Braiding)

  In order to secure skilled workers, I first honed my own skills.

  "My father could only commission kumiko (braided cord makers) who lived near our house and were within cycling distance, but since I had a car, I drove all the way to Nara and Shiga prefectures to find kumiko." As times changed and housewives began to work outside the home part-time, it became difficult to secure people who would diligently braid kumihimo for low wages. In order to teach the work to complete beginners, Ms. Masui herself worked hard to hone her skills. At that time, there were more than 3,000 craftsmen in the Iga region, but now that number has plummeted to one-third due to competition from cheaper foreign products with lower raw materials and labor costs. Ms. Masui and others continue their struggles to preserve the tradition of kumihimo.

  The history of IGA Kumihimo (Braiding)

  Originally, kumihimo (braided cords) were used in the Nara period for cords on Buddhist and Shinto religious items such as scriptures. In the Heian period, they were favored by aristocrats as cords for their clothing and interior decorations, and in the Kamakura period, they developed into practical items such as cords for samurai armor and swords. It is said that in Iga, ninjas who operated in the shadows during the Edo period used the way they tied the cords to signal to their comrades. However, the kumihimo industry in Iga only really flourished in recent years. In the mid-Meiji period, when the going rate for home-based work was three sen, kumihimo makers paid fifteen sen, so housewives from the neighborhood flocked to the industry, competing with each other in skill and leading to its development.

  

  During the Sengoku period, it was used as a cord to tie together iron armor, specifically in the odoshi (threshold) section.

  It has survived by weathering the waves of several eras.

  Since the Jomon period, kumihimo (braided cords) have survived by changing their form in response to shifts in people's lifestyles. During the Meiji Restoration, the government implemented a ban on swords, and it seemed that the history of kumihimo, along with swords, would come to an end. However, a drum bridge was completed at Kameido Tenjin Shrine in Edo. A stylish geisha from Fukagawa, inspired by the drum bridge, tied her obi high on her back and secured it with a kumihimo obi tie before making the first crossing. This was the beginning of the modern taiko knot, and the obi tie used at that time became famous, leading to a great boom in kumihimo obi ties. Since then, kumihimo has been an essential accessory for Japanese clothing and remains so to this day.

  

  Beautiful silk threads wound onto a small frame.

  Passing on traditions to the younger generation

  "At this IGA Kumihimo (Braiding) Center, even beginners can easily experience kumihimo making in just 20 minutes. Why don't you give it a try?" Mr. Masui invited me casually, climbing up to a raised platform inside the center and skillfully manipulating 50 to 70 beautiful silk threads. IGA Kumihimo (Braiding) Association's youth group teaches kumihimo as a traditional industry to students at nearby junior high schools. There is also a corner where tourists can easily experience kumihimo making using a round stand. I actually tried making a kumihimo keychain for the first time with a young instructor, and it was surprisingly easy once I got the hang of it.

  

  One-day kumihimo (braiding) experience on the 3rd floor of the Kumihimo Center

  Craftsman Profile

  ​Moyuru Masui

  Born in 1946.
  After graduating from a university in Tokyo, he worked as a salaried employee in the computer industry in the Nagoya area for a while, but returned to his hometown at the age of 30. He took over the family business as the third generation. He holds a qualification as a traditional craftsman.

  Anecdotes