Chiba Pref. Craftsman Makes Traditional Kumihimo Braided Products; He Carries on Family Business Which Started in the Edo Period

By Hiroaki Ishihara / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:00 JST, October 12, 2025

MATSUDO, Chiba — The appearance of a kimono can be enhanced by beautifully patterned obijime cords, worn over the obi sash belt, and haorihimo, which are straps for haori, half-length traditional Japanese coats.

Obijime and haorihimo are both examples of kumihimo, traditional Japanese braided products, and they are durable, supple and easy to tie, particularly when made by a skilled craftsman, which is why they are so popular among kimono wearers.

The traditional Japanese braiding technique, which produces various patterns, is believed to have been introduced to Japan along with Buddhism during the Nara period (710-784). There are said to be more than 400 basic kumihimo braiding patterns, and over 3,000 of them in all when different designs are counted.

“[When making obijime or haorihimo] it’s important to coordinate them with the kimono. I imagine what a person will look like wearing them when I’m thinking up colors and patterns,” said Kota Nakamura, 51, the fourth-generation owner of Nakamurasho, a kumihimo company based in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture.

The creation of obijime using kumihimo techniques begins with about 30 types of paints being mixed to create dyes. These dyes are then applied to raw silk, giving it colors such as gold, purple and green. Nakamurasho stocks threads in about 150 colors, including about 20 just in red tones.

The length of the dyed threads is then adjusted. Threads are wrapped around lead weights called tedama and wound together on a braiding stand called a kumidai. About 900 to 1,200 threads are used to make a 150- to 160-centimeter-long obijime, according to Nakamura. It takes three days to two weeks to complete an obijime cord.

Weaving a haorihimo starts with tying a loop knot. Steps such as adding threads while creating the cord require particular skills which only Nakamura and a few other people in the country possess.

Nakamura has created kumihimo haori straps for champion shogi player Sota Fujii, as well as Shishi, a professional sumo wrestler from Ukraine, at their request.

“Seeing people wearing [kumihimo haori straps I made] on TV and elsewhere makes me feel that I’m connected to society and that I’m helpful to others,” he said.

Nakamura’s great-grandfather, a kumihimo artisan from the shitamachi traditional commercial area of Tokyo, founded Nakamurasho in 1893 after moving to Matsudo, which was then a post town, a way station for travelers. Nakamura, who grew up while watching artisans, said he came to believe that it was vital to keep kumihimo techniques alive. He decided to take over running Nakamurasho when he was in his 20s.

Nakamura studied kimono making and color coordination at a vocational school before joining his family’s business. The kumihimo cords he creates are known for carrying on the tradition of Edo-style kumihimo, which were used by samurai and townspeople during the Edo period (1603-1867). In 2014, kumihimo braiding was designated a traditional craft of Chiba Prefecture.

He learned the basics from his mother and other artisans and honed his skills by making work to be shown and sold at department stores and participating in traditional craft exhibitions.

Although the retirement of many elderly artisans from Nakamurasho made it impossible for the company to make its kumihimo products in large quantities, a specialty kimono shop began directly ordering items from them. At one solo exhibition, Nakamura was able to sell about 30 products in a week.

He sometimes gives lectures on kumihimo to people who have enough interest in the products to visit his workshop. “There are still many people who want hand-braided kumihimo products. To preserve the culture of traditional Japanese attire, I also want to continue my efforts to increase the number of people who work with these goods,” he said.

Braiding stands

Kumihimo’s beautiful patterns are created with the use of different braiding stands. One of them is the marudai, which has a hole in the center, allowing the creation of various patterns such as spirals and rectangles.

By attaching weights ranging from 60 to 750 grams each below the hole and adjusting the tension on the threads, the user can control how stiff or flexible the cord is.

Complex patterns such as ones resembling hailstones or flowing water are created using the semi-automatic naikidai braiding tool. The tool’s rotating gears allow multiple threads to be woven through it simultaneously.

In recent years, Nakamura has sometimes received braiding tools from artisans who have retired due to age. He learns how to use these tools as he repairs them, thereby enhancing his skills as artisan.