The wonder of “ohashori”, tying up a long kimono

The ideal length for women’s kimono is height plus or minus 5㎝, and we wear a long kimono with ohashori.

Today, I’m talking about ohashori that is a little strange and a little tricky.

It’s said that the origin of “ohashori” is a Japanese phrase, “hashi o oru”, that means folding the end of something.

I heard someone says, “when I wanted to wear a kimono, I got upset because of its length.”

And I also hear, “I’m having trouble with ohashori“.

Again, writing ohashori in kanji, it means folding the end.

Many of the kimonos are handed down from parents to children and from children to grandchildren. So, when the whole kimono is clean, but only the hem of kimono has worn out, they used to fold the end of kimono, make ohashori, and kept wearing it.

But now, ohashori means not folding the hem, but adjusting the length at the belly.

After all, despite the part of kimono, adjusting the length may have come to be called ohashori.

Anyway, thanks to this, you can wear kimono in the right length without being worried about your height.

Maiko wear kimono without ohashori.

I think you also know maiko, they are one of the symbols of Japan among the tourists from other countries.

Their usual styles of wearing kimono is to lift the hem.

At the banquet, called “ozashiki” in Japanese, they are dragging their long kimono.

In fact, they don’t wear a special long kimono, but because they wear it without ohashori; thus, they don’t adjust the length.

It’s said that this way of wearing was the mainstream in old Japan.

It’s also said that after Japan began to interact with the western countries, women began to move more actively, so they started adjusting the length on their belly.

What should I do ohashori?

As I’ve explained, ohashori is adjusting the length of kimono at the belly, so if you don’t make it well, it will look like you’re chubby.

In addition, the older people say, “If you don’t do ohashori enough, you will look poor”.

So, they are always trying to make it perfectly.

Recently, the number of antique kimonos has increased, and we’re generally taller than old people, so we can’t do ohashori.

As you know, the old Japanese were shorter than us.

That is why nowadays the number of people wears kimono without ohashori is increasing.

Finally, my opinion is that you don’t have to be too nervous about ohashori.