月別: 2014年3月

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Obi Dome is a decorative accessory put on a Obi JIme cord.

Typically it is put on so-called Sanbu Himo which is a short and little thin Obi Jime though larger Obi Dome can be put on regular Obi Jime.

In general, you don’t use Obi Dome for formal kimono, but this is not because Obi Dome is for casual use but because formal kimono use thick Obi Jime therefore it is merely difficult to put it on. So, it’s common to see people attend to ceremony wearing Homongi with Obi Dome.

However, It’s better not to use Obi Dome for Tea ceremony. It doesn’t suit for Tea ceremony which values simplicity and also there is a norm not to bring in hard materials with you to the ceremony for it might cause some damages on tea items.

There is no strict rule for Obi Dome, so as long as it goes good with kimono, you can pick whatever you like. Some people arrange their brooch to make it.

There is a type of Obi Dome you put it on after you tie Obi Jime not before you tie it. This type is easier to use but you have to be careful because sometimes it falls.

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Obijime is a final cord to fasten the tied Obi.

If this cord come untied, Otaiko will also fall, so it’s very important item. In addition,since it comes to the center of Obi, it stands out very much.

There are designed Obijime but it’s better to use easy to fasten ones until you get used to it.  A simple braided style cord would be recommended for beginners. Maruguke style cord which cotton core is wrapped by cloth is also easy to fasten, but it’s rarely seen recently.

There are Hanha Obi for summer and winter. Yurugi gumi style of Obi Jime and Sanbu Himo,which is used to put on Obi Dome, can be wear for all seasons.

Kumi Himo Style Obijime which is for summer is loosely braided. It looks lacy and cool, but since it is loosely braided, it made by hard cords so it would be hard to tie until you get used to it.

Hanha obi doesn’t need Obi Dome but it’s common to use it as an accessory. In this case, you won’t get into trouble if it loosen, so you can enjoy it by selecting rare material cords or knotting it into unique shapes.

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Obi age is a cloth to secure the shape of the tied knot of obi.

However, nowadays obimakura plays that role except some occasions, so obiage is positioned as a decorating cloth to cover the obimakura and adjust the top of the obi. Hanhaba obi which doesn’t need obimakura, doesn’t also need obiage, but sometimes you use it as a decoration.

There are tricks for tying them elagantly, and it might be hard if you’re not used to it. One way to do it is not to make a knot, just adjust the shape and insert it between the obi and datejime.

Obiage for winter and summer are distinguished, and there are differences in ranks. Basically, translucent materials are for summer, and otherwise for winter.

Material mainly used are shibori, rinzu, and chirimen. For furisode, obiage with soshibori (elagant patterns on the whole cloth) is normally used, not only because it needs to have high quality, but also because the obiage needs to have volume in order to match with kimono and the obi. For formal kimonos, white obiage with golden strings is the basic, and rinzu or shibori is used.

When wearing casual kimonos, some people enjoy by using rectangular scarves, or items made by cutting cloths.

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Hanhaba obi is a full-lengthed obi which has half a width of normal obi. It is a basic rule to wear it with komon or casual kimonos, and not for formal kimonos. Meanwhile, when wearing hakama, you wear hanhaba obi under your hakama whether you wear furisode or iromuji.

The characteristic of hanhaba obi is that it is easy to use. There is no complicating rules because it’s for daily use, and you can tie them freely. There is no specific rules for patterns or materials, so some people make it by themselves with their favorite cloth.

When tying them by yourself, you tie it in front of your body, and bring it to your back. It is dramatically easy to tie compared to Nagoya obi and fukuro obi which you have to make the shape at your back, and even beginners can make beautiful shapes by practicing a little.

There are a few basic ways to tie, for example bunko (book), or shell’s mouth, but bow tie is just fine, and some people make complicated shapes by using subsidiary ropes. You need considerable length to make a complicated shape, but recently obi with relatively long lengths are sold for that purpose.

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For formal kimonos, you use fukuro obi (bag obi).

The length is over 4m, and normally you set it up as nijuutaiko (double taiko knot). You wear them with Furisode, and a gorgeous decorated knot is applied to match the gorgeous furisode.

Besides when you wear formal kimonos, Nagoya obi is frequently used, so there is a image of “fukuro obi=formal dress”, but there are also fukuro obis for casual occasions. Fukuro obi for formal dresses is defined as “obi with golden or silver strings woven into it”, but it is easy to distinguish them because formal fukuro obis are apparantly gorgeous.

It is not for formal use if only a small amount of golden or silver strings are used, or if it naturally matches with komon.

Obishin, which you insert inside the fukuroobi, is made from cotton or silk, but it is not that silk is finer in quality than cotton. The hardness differs, so you should choose depending on your liking. If it is a recycled item, sometimes the oboshin is not inserted because of the preference of the former user. If the material is solid enough, you can use it with no problem. If it is too soft to tie a knot, you can have a core inserted at a shop where they do make-overs.