How to Tie a Geisha Obi

A geisha is a professional Japanese female entertainer who performs traditional Japanese arts. Their beautiful appearance includes wearing a kimono tied with an obi, the long, wide sash on a kimono. Geisha traditionally wear their obi tied and centered in the back. The Obi consists of a very long piece of material (sash), an Obiita (a flat thin board used to maintain a smooth fabric appearance), an Obimakura (a hard little pillow which creates a fuller look in the back), Koshishimo/Karihimo (long strip of cloth tied around the waist during to prevent the obi from shifting), and an Obijime (a braided cord to hold everything in place). There are many ways to tie a geisha obi, but this article will deal with the most popular obi knot, the drum knot (otaiko musubi).

Things You'll Need

• Kimono
• Obi, Nagoya length or longer
• Obiita
• 3 Koshishimo/karihimo
• Obimakura
• Obijime

Instructions

How to Tie a Geisha Obi

1. 

   Put the Obiita (thin flat board) across your front torso. This should be high on your torso, almost up under the breasts.

2. 

   Fold the obi in half, making sure that the open side is up. Wrap this around your waist one time.

3. Bring the left end of the obi to the front. Pull gently on the other side of the obi until the Tesaki (what the obi is now called on the left side) length is approximately the width of your waist plus 6 inches. When beginning this process for the first time, leave yourself with at least 8 extra inches until you get good practice at tying the drum bow properly.

4. 

   Holding the Tesaki with your left hand, wrap the obi one more time around your waist.

5. 

   Pull out the Tesaki on your left side gently.

6. 

   Wrap the obi one more time.

7. 

   Pull the Tesaki around your left side and bring it to the center of your back. The Tesaki should hang over the obi. Hold the Tesaki at a slight angle.

8. Wrap the right side of the obi (now called a "Tare") around your waist again. Be careful not to cover the Tesaki on your left side.

9. 

   While holding the Tesaki with your left hand, fold up the Tare with your right hand.

10. 

    Take your Karihimo (long strip of cloth used for securing obi in place to keep it from moving) and slide it underneath the Tare. Guide the Karihimo to the front and tie it in the center of the obi.

11. 

    Bring your Tesaki to the front and secure it temporarily with the Karihimo.

12. 

    Unfold the Tare in your back and widen it.

13. 

    Take another Karihimo and place it on the widened obi.

14. 

    Lift the Tare off of your waist, making sure to leave about 3 to 4.5 inches of obi hanging down your back and secure it with another Karihimo. This creates the height in back for the beginning of your drum knot.

15. 

    Pick up your Obimakura (the hard little pillow used to create a fuller look in the back) and hold it upside down.

16. 

    Place the Obimakura underneath your obi.

17. 

    Turn your Obimakura around so that the flat part is touching your back (this will give the obi volume).

18. 

    Bring the strings of your Obimakura to the front. Tie them on your left side and tuck the strings underneath the obi.

19. 

    Untie the Karahimo that you tied in Step 14 ONCE--do not completely untie it! Tuck the last part of the Tare under it. Figure out where the bottom line of the "drum" (Otaiko) portion should be. Once you are satisfied with where the line is, re-tie the Karihimo in front.

20. 

    Untie the Karihimo from Step 13 and bring the Tesaki to the back.

21. 

    Take the Tesaki to the back and slip it through the "drum" (Otaiko).

22. 

    Take your Obijimi (the braided cord used to hold everything in place) and place it on the center of the Tesaki.

23. 

    Tie the Obijime in the front. Make a loop on the right side and tuck the left-side part through it. Tuck the ends under the Obijime.

24. 

    Untie and remove the Karihimo and straighten out everything to ensure a smooth and neat appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use any kind of obi you like, but the most widely used the Nagoya obi because of their lightness and ease to work with. A Nagoya length is 11.8 feet.