Although called a cord, it is actually a narrow, flat woven fabric,
and compared to braided cords, it is less prone to stretching and is very strong and durable.
There is a theory that Sanada himo gets its name from the fact that during the Sengoku period, after the Battle of Sekigahara, Sanada Masayuki and his son Yukimura wove these cords while they were confined in Kudoyama.
Peddlers then sold them, calling them "the strong cords made by Sanada,"
which led to them being known as "Sanada Himo."
The cord eventually reached Kojima, where it spread nationwide
after travelers, who came to visit both Konpira-gu Shrine and Yuga Shrine Hongu in a popular "Ryōmairi" (dual pilgrimage),
purchased them at souvenir shops along the approach to the shrines.
There's a reason why Sanada himo came to be woven in Kojima.
Kojima in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, was originally an island in the sea,
and the soil of Kojima contained a lot of salt.
It was unsuitable for rice cultivation but highly suitable for cotton cultivation, which is resistant to salt.
That's why even today, Kojima Sanada himo is woven from high-quality 100% cotton.
Buzaemon Nozaki (founder of Naikai Salt Industries), known as the "Salt Field King,"
was originally a cotton weaver who manufactured and sold Kokura tabi socks.
Later, he succeeded in developing salt fields, and his vast estate is now
designated as a National Important Cultural Property, "Former Nozaki Family Residence,"
and is open to the public as a major tourist attraction in Kojima.
Recently, it was also used as a filming location for the movie "Don't Call it Mystery,"
starring Masaki Suda.
After that, Kojima's cotton weaving industry achieved remarkable development over time,
from the narrowest Sanada himo
to wide fabrics such as denim and canvas.
Sanada himo is a historical textile that can be called the beginning of that development.
Because Sanada himo is narrow,
it is rarely the main textile product,
but when used as an accent, it makes a significant impression.
The "Kojima Obi" is a reversible belt made of tatami mat edging and denim.
It is entirely made from textiles from Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
Sanada himo is used as an accent (decoration) on the denim side of the obi.
It has become very fashionable, and now
customers can choose their favorite Sanada himo pattern from four types,
and enjoy it as their own unique obi.
When designing the Kojima Obi,
I strongly wanted to use Sanada himo.
That is due to the weight of Sanada himo's venerable history, and its presence because of that.
The Kojima Obi, born in 2017, is a new type of obi in traditional Japanese attire.
However, all the materials used in the obi have a rich history.
In particular, Sanada himo is said to have a 400-year history,
as a monument to Sanada Yukimura has been erected on Mount Yuga in recognition of his contributions to Kojima's textile industry.
It is thanks to the care and preservation of people from the past
that we are able to use it in the present day.
If we continue to create good things by combining the old and new with fresh ideas,
they will be passed on as even better things to future generations.
The "Kojima Obi" adorned with Sanada himo will vibrantly and beautifully enhance traditional Japanese attire a hundred years from now,
and its history will be etched into 500, 600 years...
This is the year of that first step.
