{"id":995,"date":"2011-07-06T15:51:02","date_gmt":"2011-07-06T06:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/?p=995"},"modified":"2011-07-06T15:51:02","modified_gmt":"2011-07-06T06:51:02","slug":"the-classic-obi-how-to-tie-a-taiko-musubi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/2011\/07\/the-classic-obi-how-to-tie-a-taiko-musubi\/","title":{"rendered":"The Classic Obi: How to Tie a Taiko Musubi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every movement in Japanese art has meaning and purpose, and is done with precision and perfection.\u00c2\u00a0 In the simplest way I could put it, I love kitsuke<\/em> because it is essentially folding fabric in beautiful shapes, creating the most flattering lines for the female body that can find a balance between being provocative and demure.\u00c2\u00a0 The beauty of kimono is that there are many different types, styles, and fabrics to cater to a specific occasion or season.\u00c2\u00a0 This however is also a reason why wearing a kimono is becoming a dying art, with fewer and fewer women wearing kimono for reasons of convenience and complexity. Not only is it difficult for most women to put on by themselves, the categories of kimono, including when a certain kimono can be worn is specific, making it a bit cumbersome and overwhelming to keep in practice.\u00c2\u00a0 In addition to choosing the right kimono to suit the occasion\/season, there are also the accessories that you must correctly match with the outfit. \u00c2\u00a0This is the main reason it may be necessary to go to a kimono school to learn all the intricacies and traditions of wearing proper kimono.\u00c2\u00a0 In my opinion, I truly believe that traditional old school kimonos are more beautiful than many of those weird sparkly, Barbie-type kimonos that girls wear during Seijin Shiki<\/em> these days.\u00c2\u00a0 However I am also a firm believer in using your personal style and creativity, and as long as it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not on a serious formal occasion, it’s perfectly alright to bend the rules.\u00c2\u00a0 Nowadays a lot of younger kitsuke senseis<\/em> are more accepting about how different outfits are put together.\u00c2\u00a0 Although the Japanese culture and tradition is so respected and sophisticated because things remain unchanged for years, often with a one and only way to do something, I think a little flexibility can keep kimono wearing alive in modern times and help spread the art of kimono internationally.<\/p>\n

The obi<\/em> sash is the one component that can allow you to really express your creativity and set yourself apart from others: the type of obi, pattern, and the musubi<\/em> (way of tying the bow) changes the look and formality of the whole outfit, which is why I think the obi is more important to how the whole kimono looks visually.\u00c2\u00a0 With origins in functionality, it has become almost the main fashionable accessory.\u00c2\u00a0 The various ways of tying obi musubi<\/em> is most definitely an art form in itself, basically akin to doing origami with beautiful fabric.<\/p>\n

I’m going to go with the most commonly worn, classic obi type of musubi<\/em>: Taiko musubi<\/em>, named after the famed Tokyo bridge for its drum like shape.\u00c2\u00a0 For a casual occasion (although now there are also formal types), you must use Nagoya obi.<\/em> This obi has a wide end (the tail end of the obi and part that is ultimately shown as the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153taiko\u00e2\u20ac\u009d – taresaki<\/em>) and is folded and sewn in half about halfway, making it easier to tie around the waist – tesaki<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Aside from the obi, the accessories you need are:<\/p>\n