Obi

Obi (帯, おび) is a Japanese word referring to several different types of sashes worn with kimono and keikogi by both men and women.

Obi are the top-most sash worn with various styles of Japanese clothing; several other sashes may be worn under the obi to secure the clothing in place and/or to enhance the shape of the body or of the uppermost sash.

Except in martial arts, obi are always tied at the back -- traditionally one knotted the obi in its final position, but many people now tie the obi at the front where the knots can easily be seen, and then twist the sash into the correct position. In former times, courtesans and prostitutes wore obi tied at the front for easy removal and retying.

There are several types of obi. The pictures here are some of the obi I own.

The Maru obi is the most formal obi, having two sides of fully patterned tapestry along its length. The classic maru obi measures 33cm wide and 4 meters long (in Empirical measurements, that's about 12 inches wide and nearly 14 feet long. Some antique maru obi, because of the thickness of the tapestry, were pretty heavy. Imagine wearing a 1kg (about 2.5 pounds) belt!

The Maru obi style was most popular during the Meiji(1868-1912) and Taisho(1912 - 1926) eras. However, due to its exorbitant cost and weight (which makes it uncomfortable to wear), the maru obi is rarely worn today, except for traditional Japanese weddings and other very formal occasions. Lighter and easier to tie obi styles came into vogue, and the maru obi fell out of favour.

Here is the only maru obi I own. It is from either then end of Meiji (ended 1912) or from the era known as Taisho (1912 - 1926).It's made from silk, brocaded on both sides and quite hefty.



















Like a Maru obi, a very fancy fukuro obi can be used in formal situations, but it is also appropriate for semi-formal events. A Fukuro Obi is very similar to Maru Obi as far length and width, but Fukuro fabrics are generally thinner and Fukuro obi have only one side with a pattern. The patterned area covers about sixty percent of the obi while the remaining fabric is "blank" (unpatterned. When tied, this "blank" part is not seen. This reduces the cost and weight of the obi and also makes it easier to tie.

Here's a fukuro obi, unfolded so the blank part shows. This one is very heavily patterned and very pretty but because it is much thinner and has a plain back, it weighs considerably less than the Maru obi. Sometimes Fukuro obi can be fully-printed. The red and black obi pictured is a fukuro obi. It was made from reclaimed kimono fabric. I put its age around 45-50 years old.















The Nagoya Obi has a unique asymetrical shape with part of it folded and stitched. This makes it easier and faster to tie because the parts the wearer would fold and tie herself are already configured, but limits the number of styles in which the obi can be knotted. The most common bow for a Nagoya obi is the "Odaiko" or drum style. Nagoya obi can be fully patterned or are sixty percent patterned. The length is a bit shorter than other two obis.













Hanhaba (literally "half-width) is a long skinny obi, generally used with infomal kimono (like komon) or yukata. The top obi is a traditonal hakata weave hanhaba obi, made from silk. The color is a little off in the picture, it's a terriffic spring green, like the color of celery. The bottom obi is synthetic and features chili peppers. Everyone loves the chili pepper obi because it makes them giggle, especially little old Japanese ladies.














There are "tsuke obi" or "kantan" (easy) obi. Tsuke obi come in many styles and fabrics and the same accessories as a normal obi are worn. Tsuke obi are similar in concept to a clip-on tie. The tsuke obi comes in two pre-tied parts. There is a belt section and a bow section. The wearer ties the belt part around the waist and inserts (tsuke) the bow part into the belt. The tsuke obi does not appear to suffer the same stigma as the clip-on tie, probably because most tsuke obi are just as expensive (if not more so, because of the additional labor required to tie and sew them) as a regular obi. It really is quite difficult to tell that a tsuke obi is being used--I even fooled the owner of a kimono shop.

I remember reading somewhere that these obi were created (and eventually accepted) because of the graying of Japan--little old arthritic Japanese ladies couldn't tie their obi any more. Now they are popular because most Japanese women don't know how to wear kimono or tie an obi. Tsuke obi are also used for men's obi, even though men's obi are much more straightforward. There's also tsuke obi for kids. I can see the smarts in using them for children's kimono, after trying to tie a squirmy six year-old into a kimono using a child's maru obi (slightly shorter and thinner, but still almost six feet of material), I gave up and used a tsuke obi, much to the relief of BOTH of us.

Hekko obi are big, soft, scarflike obi, often worn with yukata. Since they are very quick and easy to tie and comfortable to wear, Hekko obi are often used on kid's yukata. Here's a little girl trying on a yukata and a hekko obi, her obi is synthetic and tied in a big floppy bow.I've also included a shot of big old hekko obi for a man, this one is a sheer silk, about four feet wide and a good eight feet long. My husband won't wear them, he thinks they're too foo-foo, but I love them because it is a very quaint and charming old-fashioned look. A man's bow is not normally tied so fluffy.






































For their kimono (and yukata), men wear a Kekku Obi. Men's obi are much more staid than womens, with palettes of browns, dark greens or blues, or other dark shades. Formality of the obi is determined by fabric, color and pattern--just like women's obi. Keku obi are even narrower than Hanhaba obi and generally tied in a small bow or a knot known as kai no kuchi (clam's mouth). While very easy to tie, tsuke Kekku obi are available and apparently quite popular. A top of the line Kekku obi can cost a couple of hundred dollars (contrast to the thousand or more dollars for a high-end woman's obi).


Men's obi below. The blue one is quite traditional, of a particular weave called hakata. The purple one is slightly wider and can be used for yukata or informal kimono. It is made of silk as well. The yellow obi is also a Kekku obi, but is made of cotton. I've included close-up pictures of the obis' weave.