OBI (OH-bee)
A
wide sash worn by women in Japan
Common
clues: Japanese sash; Waist material?; Kimono accessory; Ginza
strip?; Kyoto cummerbund; It's a cinch in Japan; Geisha girder;
Japanese band?; Japanese middle manager?
Crossword
puzzle frequency:
10 times a year
News:
Japanese
Fashion Billionaire Gives Big To Disaster Relief
Video:
Japanese
traditional dance
Obi
is a Japanese word referring to several different types of sashes
worn with kimono and martial arts uniforms by both men and women.
Obi
are the top-most sash worn with various styles of Japanese
clothing; several other sashes may be worn under the obi to
secure the clothing in place and/or to enhance the shape of the
body or of the uppermost sash.
Except
in martial arts, obi are always tied at the back -- traditionally
one knotted the obi in its final position, but many people now
tie the obi at the front where the knots can easily be seen, and
then twist the sash into the correct position. In former times,
courtesans and prostitutes wore obi tied at the front for easy
removal and retying.
Kimono
are full-length robes traditionally worn by both men and women in
Japan. Though there are many different types of kimono, obi are
worn with all of them, and function both to keep the robe closed
and in place on the body, and as decoration. Obi were
traditionally made of silk, and silk is still the most
traditional and formal material for obi.
Men's
kimono obi are rectangular, usually about five or six centimetres
wide and two metres or more in length. They are usually seen in
dark colours such as black and blue, and typically have little
decoration, though decorative stitching in a contrasting colour,
often white, is common. Men's obi are wrapped one or more times
around the waist and are tied slightly off-centre at the back,
most commonly in the style of knot called kai no kuchi, literally
"clam's mouth," though there are other knots as well.
Men's obi are normally worn quite low on the waist, somewhat
below the stomach.
Women's
kimono obi are twice as wide as men's or more, and are frequently
very decorative and colourful, though this will depend on the age
of the wearer, the type and style of kimono, the season, and the
occasion for which it is being worn.
Women's
obi are also wrapped one or more times around the waist, and are
not only much wider but are tied much higher up, generally with
the top just under the breasts. Women also use various styles of
knots, including the kai no kuchi, but more typically women's obi
are tied in a so-called drum knot, a large roll at the back,
usually enhanced and shaped with padding called makura, literally
"pillows." Unlike men, women tie the knot at the centre
of the back.
This
article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia
article "Obi (Sash)”
OBI
(457) 35
Tu >1 08 Kimono sash
27
Tu+ >1 09 Geisha's sash
27
Tu+ >1 07 Sapporo sash
25
Tu- >1 07 ___-Wan Kenobi
24
We- >1 08 Kimono accessory
21
Tu- >1 08 Japanese sash
12
We+ >1 05 Sash
11
Th- >1 08 Eastern sash
11
Tu- >1 04 Kimono tie
10
We- >1 07 Kimono closer
8
We- >1 05 Kyoto cummerbund
8
Mo >1 07 Oriental sash
6
We+ >1 05 It's a cinch in Japan
6
Tu >1 05 Osaka sash
6
Th- >1 09 Samurai's sash
4
Th- >1 08 Broad sash
4
Th WSJ 09 Geisha girder
4
Th WaP 08 Ginza garb item
4
Th- >1 09 Japanese band
4
Th >1 06 Japanese band?
3
We >1 07 Bit of "The Mikado" costumery
3
We+ >1 05 Cummerbund cousin
3
Fr+ >1 04 Eastern tie
3
We- >1 07 Geisha's band
3
We CSy 05 Kimono completer
|