How to Tie Yuna's Obi

Yuna's obi most resembles the Japanese chocho musubi, or butterfly knot.

One of the most popular video game heroines of all time, Final Fantasy's Yuna, has appeared in both Square Enix's Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 games, where she combats a growing evil with the assistance of her teammates and changes from a magic-wielding "Summoner" to a firearm-wielding "Gunner" throughout her progression as a character. The obi, or Japanese sash, she wears in her "Summoner" garb is an often-seen style at anime conventions around the world, as it's based upon the traditional Japanese chocho musubi, or butterfly obi.

Things You'll Need

• Obi (a hanhaba obi is preferable)

Instructions

Tying the Obi

1. Start with the obi placed behind your waist and pull the obi to your right so that roughly 16 inches remain in your left hand. Fold this end in half, widthwise, so that it is half of the normal width of the obi. This short end is referred to as the "tesaki." The longer, unfolded, portion in your right hand is called the "taresaki."

2. Tuck the tesaki end between your left arm and your body and use both free hands to wrap the taresaki end twice around your waist.

3. Fold the taresaki end in a triangle so that the obi narrows towards the left side of your body.

4. Tie the taresaki and tesaki ends in a simple knot so that the tesaki end points up and the taresaki end points down.

Tying the Butterfly Knot

1. Hang the tesaki end over your shoulder and open up the taresaki. Pull it up towards your right shoulder and then fold it back upon itself. With your right hand, grab the loose end and fold it behind the taresaki, grabbing it in the center with your left hand. This is the start of forming the butterfly knot.

2. With your right hand, take the tesaki end and wrap it over and behind the center of your butterfly knot and pull it upward, cinching the knot in the middle.

3. Roll up the tesaki end toward you and tuck it behind the obi. This will keep the butterfly knot tight.

4. Adjust the butterfly knot by crimping or fluffing out the edges.

5. Inhale deeply and rotate the entire obi so that the butterfly knot is behind you.

Tips & Warnings

• A hanhaba obi is the preferred obi style for Yuna's butterfly knot because it is less wide and less constricting than other obis. However, wider obis can be styled in much the same manner.

References

• How to Tie Women's Obi - Hanhaba Obi; Shimazakura International, LLC; 2011
• Yuna; GamingUnion.net; 2011
• How to Tie Butterfly Obi; Japanese Lifestyle; 2010
• More About Obi; Kimono Flea Market Ichiroya; 2011