Obi (sash) - Knots (musubi) - Types of Knots

Types of Knots

• Asagao musubi (朝顔, あさがお, , "morning glory"?) is a knot suitable for yukata. As its name suggests, it resembles the Japanese morning glory. The knot requires a great length of obi so it can be usually only be made for little girls.

• Ayame musubi (菖蒲, あやめ, , "Iris"?) is a very decorative and complex knot that resembles a blossom of iris. It is considered suitable for young women in informal situations and parties. Because of the complexity and conspicuousness of the knot it should be worn with more subdued, preferably monochrome kimono and obi.

• Bara musubi (薔薇, バラ, , "rose"?) is a contemporary, conspicuous knot. It is suitable for young women and can be worn to informal parties. Because of the complexity of the knot, a multi-coloured or strongly patterned obi should not be used. The patterns of the kimono should match the knot representing an occidental flower.

• Chōchō musubi (蝶蝶, ちょうちょう, ,"butterfly"?) is a version of the bunko musubi, tied using the hanhaba obi. Most ready-made obis (tsuke obi) are made with the butterfly knot.

• Darari musubi is a knot nowadays used only by maikos, dancers and kabuki actors. It is easily distinguishable by the long "tails" hanging in the back. In the past also courtesans and daughters of rich merchants, among others, would have their obis tied in this manner. A specific darari obi, about 600 centimetres (20 ft) long, is needed for making this knot in full length.
  There also exists a half-length version of the darari musubi, the so-called handara musubi. According to tradition, a minarai (a maiko-to-be in training) wears her obi in this style. Maikos wear this knot for specific dances.

• Fukura-suzume musubi (ふくら雀, ,"puffed sparrow"?) is a decorative knot that resembles a sparrow with its wings spread and is worn only by unmarried women. It is suitable for formal occasions and is only worn with a furisode. Traditionally, the fukura-suzume musubi worn with a furisode indicated a woman was available for marriage.

• Kai-no-kuchi musubi (貝の口, , "clam's mouth"?) is a subdued obi which is often worn by men. Sometimes older women or women seeking a somewhat masculine air to their outfit tie their obi in this knot.

• Koma musubi (駒結び, , square knot, literally "foal knot"?) is often used with haori strings and obijime. The short sanjaku obi for children is also tied in this way.

• Taiko musubi (太鼓, "drum"?) is the most used musubi these days. It is simple and subdued and resembles a box. The taiko musubi is suited for both old and young women in almost any occasion and goes with almost any kind of kimono and in some cases even with yukata. Only furisode are considered too formal and youthful to be worn with the taiko musubi.
  Nowadays the taiko musubi is usually associated with the taiko drum, but the origin of the name does not relate to the instrument. The knot was created at the time of the festive opening ceremony of the Taikobashi bridge in Tokyo in 1823. Some geishas attending to the event tied their obis in a new, conspicuous way that was thought to resemble the shape of a "playing card", ichimai karuta). The knot was a variation of a simple men's knot used then. The knot worn by trendsetting geishas was later adopted by other women. By the creation of the taiko musubi, the accessories obiage, obijime and obimakura were also established. These accessories belong to most kimono outfits used today.

• Nijūdaiko musubi (二重太鼓, "two layer drum"?) is, as its name suggests, a version of the common taiko musubi, worn with the formal fukuro obi. Fukuro obis are longer than the more commonly used Nagoya obis, so the obi must be folded in two during the tying of the knot. The knot has an auspicious double meaning of "double joy".

• Tateya musubi (立て矢, , "standing arrow "?) resembles a large bow and is one of the most simple musubi worn with furisodes. According to the kitsuke authority Norio Yamanaka, it is the most suitable knot to be used with the honburisode, the furisode with full length sleeves.

• Washikusa musubi (鷲草, , "eagle plant"?) is basically a bow which resembles a certain plant thought to look like an eagle taking flight.