The Beauty of Intertwining Threads: Japanese Traditional Handicraft, Iga Kumihimo

- Although this master craftsman’s shop is usually closed to the public, participants will get exclusive access and listen to a lecture delivered by the master himself.The master craftsman will also demonstrate his techniques right before their eyes.- Hands-on experience making kumihimo braided cords.You can make your own original key holder and take it home with you.- You can also purchase original merchandise available nowhere else in Japan, such as a kumihimo necktie./- Kumihimo is a traditional Japanese art form of using thin threads of silk or cotton to make braided cords.Regarded as a textile craft like knitting and weaving, its production flourished during the Edo period (1603–1867), when kumihimo braided cords were used as ornamentation on samurai swords.Seen as part of traditional Japanese culture, Iga kumihimo are now attracting attention from overseas. Not only are they used to make uniquely Japanese accessories such as the obijime decorative strings used to hold a kimono sash in place, they are also used to develop new products, such as straps that blend in with a modern lifestyle.Iga kumihimo are distinguished by the beauty of their colorfully dyed silk threads, each of which catches the light as it interlaces with the other threads, making the whole cord shine.