The garment that holds everything together
A kimono is wrapped around the body, left side over right, and has no buttons or hooks. Something has to hold it closed, and that is the job of the obi sash. At first this was a simple belt or cord. Over time, especially for women, it grew into the single most prominent part of the outfit, often the most expensive piece and the one that sets the style and formality.
Early belts and narrow ties
In early periods, clothing was secured by cords or narrow belts. Heian court dress used belts for fastening the outer layers, and the multi-layered style was arranged so that the sash was largely hidden. By the medieval period, as the kosode became outerwear, the narrow sash became visible, but it was still modest. Men’s belts, among warriors, were practical, and swords were often thrust through the sash at the waist, which is a reason samurai culture shaped the design of men’s belts.
The Edo period and the widening sash
The big change came in the Edo period. As women’s kimono became more elaborate, the obi grew wider and longer, and the ways of tying it multiplied. Many explanations have been offered for this: the rise of a prosperous urban clientele, the influence of entertainers and courtesans, and the desire to show off fabric. Popular kabuki theatre and the pleasure quarters are often credited with setting trends, which then spread to other women. Specific stories about who invented which knot are usually legend rather than documented history.
Obi became stiffer and more heavily decorated, with rich brocades, gold thread and embroidery. The tied bow at the back could be large and ornamental. Over time, regional and age-related conventions developed, and the tying style became a way to signal status or occasion. Edo townspeople used the obi to show a taste for fashion, and the iki ideal could be seen in a carefully chosen sash of muted color.
Types of obi
Obi are classified by width, length, and formality:
- Maru obi. The full-width, fully patterned obi, historically the most formal and today mostly reserved for weddings and very formal events. It is long and heavy.
- Fukuro obi. A bag-like obi woven or patterned on the outer face, a common formal and semiformal choice. It is slightly lighter than the maru.
- Nagoya obi. A pre-shaped obi, narrower at the chest and full width at the part that shows, which makes it easier to tie. It is widely used for semiformal and casual wear.
- Hanhaba obi. A half-width obi, used with casual kimono and yukata.
- Heko obi. A soft, long cloth sash used by men and children for casual dress, tied loosely.
- Kaku obi. The narrower belt for men’s kimono, usually tied low at the hips.
Details differ among sources, and some names overlap.
Accessories and tying
A modern obi is not worn alone. A stiff board (obi-ita) keeps the front smooth, a small pad (obi-makura) shapes the back bow, and cords and a decorative band (obi-jime and obi-age) help keep things in place and add color. A well-tied obi involves several assistants’ steps, and many people use a dresser or a teacher.
There are many knots. The drum knot (taiko musubi) is the standard one for many occasions today, and more elaborate knots exist for furisode and festive wear. A knot’s shape can suggest an occasion; for example, the long, decorative styles used by young women in furisode contrast with simpler styles for older women. Apprentice geisha in Kyoto are known for a very long trailing obi, though its exact form is specific to their tradition.
The obi in the world of kimono
In kimono dress, the obi often carries the most elaborate pattern, while the kimono itself may be more subdued, or vice versa. The pairing of the two is considered an act of taste. A formal black tomesode is usually paired with a formal obi in gold or silver, whereas a casual cotton kimono might be tied with a soft sash. Many obi are woven in the traditional cloth-making centers of Japan; for the weaving of such fabrics, Japanese weaving offers the broader background.
The obi also has a symbolic dimension. In some ceremonies, an obi is tied at a particular moment, for instance in the tradition of a pregnancy sash (iwata-obi), which is customarily worn with a blessing. Customs vary.
Change in the modern era
With Meiji modernization and the adoption of Western dress, daily wear of the obi declined. Today it is mostly encountered at ceremonies, festivals, and in performance. Wearing a kimono, especially with a full obi, can be physically demanding, since the sash is firm, and some people choose simplified versions: ready-tied obi, or lighter fabrics. These are practical compromises, accepted to varying degrees.
Antique obi are also collected, and are sometimes reused as wall hangings or table runners, or remade into bags. The sash, once simply a belt, has become a work of textile art in itself.