How to tie a Fukuro Obi

[HikaruNoGo]

I'm new! ;D I didn't see a 'newbie' section, so I'll do a mini- intro here.

After 7 years of collecting animation cels from various Japanese anime, I've decided to branch off a bit to collecting kimono and obi. It all started when I was browsing ebay for kimono to wear at a Anime Con, and that's where the trouble began. I have 3 fukuro obi and 2 maru obi and I would love to wear them at an upcoming Matsuri at a con, but I don't know how to wear one!

I can manage the han-obi, but the wideness of the fukuro frustrates me. All the tutorials I see on the web are for han- obi.

Any help?

Oh yeah, I'm just about to purchase my first uchikake! They are GORGEOUS!

[Kiyoaki]

H-no-G,

Have you looked at the other topics in this heading? There are a number of threads that deal with your problem. Of course a live demonstration is preferable, but at least those topics provide a start.

Kiyoaki

P.S. I was waiting for some of the women to respond to your question before chiming in.

[HikaruNoGo]

Hi!

I don't know why I didn't see the other thread before.

What threw me off everytime I visit a tutorial is that I only find help with han obi and Nagoya obi. I was thinking fukuro and maru obi needed special treatment.

Also, the fukuro obi seems very wide, and I thought that it had to be folded in half. I guess the pictures on the website makes the obi thinner than it is? I'll try the links that other people suggested of course.

[MarieNY]

Welcome to the board HikaruNoGo.

Here is a link with diagrams on how to tie a Fukuro or Maru obi. They are in Japanese but illustrations are universal:
www4.ocn.ne.jp/~tomasan/hikinuki.html

You need an obimakura (obi pillow) and obiage (obimakura cover) to give obi fullness in the back. In your post it sounds like you have not yet tried to actually wear your obi so you will have to get these items. (Obijime should match or at least coordinate with the color of the obiage.)

I have a beautiful gold fukuro obi that was very, very stiff. But I do have some sewing skills and converted it to a pre-tied double butterfly obi. Of course, once an obi is cut and made into one bow it can never again be tied into a different bow. But for me it was a good trade off. If you want to go this route here is a link that shows in a general way how pre-tied obi is made and worn:
www4.ocn.ne.jp/~tomasan/tukuriobi.html

Finally, keep in mind whether your hosts are Americans or Japanese. If they are Americans you can pretty much wear kimono and obi as you please and you will get plenty of compliments. If they are Japanese you will have to be more sensitive to the proper formality of your total ensemble to the occasion - it's part of their neurophysiology.