-Kumi-himo can't be found easily in other countries. -Before, there was a novel prize winner who came and bought at us several times. -Male dogs get thicker strings. -Making the strings is a lot harder than joining them. -Even if you tie them simply, you can't untie them. -There are many special strings, like that of a Noh mask. -There are no successors. -We have the most different kinds in Japan. -The simpler the tools are, the more difficult they are. -Yes, it's heard well in the silence. -Ours are really simple.

Kumi-himo can't be found easily in other countries:

(How are "kumi-himo" used?) Strings are used in various ways from that of a pouch to that of a bag where you put the tea container in, called "shihuku." They can be used for accessories too, and they have so many utilities. There are no silk strings in Japan that have the same numbers of color and the thickness. (All silk?) Yes, we only use silk. There a lot who don't use silk. (Do you sell silk in meters?) Yes, we sell them in meters. (So you cut the length the customer wants, and then send it?) Yes. (Are "kumi-himo" only in Japan?) "kumi-himo" can't be found easily in other countries. There are a bit of "kumi-himo" used in accessories in France. (Do they make them there?) Yes. Well, it's more like twisted strings. It's kind of like toys from our point of view, but on the other side, it has a good sense. Hahaha.

Before, there was a novel prize winner who came and bought at us several times:

(Do foreigners come?) Yes, they come. (When they buy "kumi-himo", what do they say to use it for?) They said that they use these for belts. (Wife) They make them better than us. (Master) Before, there was a novel prize winner who came and bought at us several times. (Wife) He tied a ribbon with the "kumi-himo", and do you see the thin string at the pole? He tied one or two of those around his neck like a necktie. And he also tied it around here and made it into a belt. He was really good with these. (There are things you learn from them?) Yes, really. They have creative ideas that we would never come up with, and those are really splendid. It's interesting.

Male dogs get thicker strings:

We have been doing this for centuries and decades. (Established in 1877?) Yes. (Your father started it?) No, more ahead. He was born in the Taisho Era. (Grandfather?) More ahead. (Were the strings dyed?) Back then there were dying craftsmen. Now there are no more of them in Tokyo. (So you dye at your own place now?) Yes. (How old were you when you started making "kumi-himo"?) Let's see..... I've been doing this since I was around 18. I went to many places to train. (Is it difficult?) Hmm..... it's not that hard. You just need endurance. And whether it's your field of work or not. (Can one do this right away?) There are people who can. But time is required in order to be stabilized to work. Joining the strings is just one part of the process. There are many different kinds of "kumi-himo". There are strings for swords, Noh masks, baskets, and ones used for dog's exhibitions, you know. (Do the strings differ depending on the kind of dogs?) Yes. Male dogs get thicker strings. Hahaha. (Is there a definite length for an "inroh"(medicine case)?) We adjust depending on the size, of course. And we have to tighten them depending on the thickness of the hole. The strings of Inroh can be rubbed, right? We open the lid one by one and shift the strings along with it. So we must join the strings beautifully because if the shifting is not smooth, then it will not work well. (You work everything on this stand?) No, I use many stands. We have about 6 kinds that we use here. (Is this stand for "obi-dome"(sash band)?) It's the matter of the way I join the strings rather than saying it's for "obi-dome." This is the strings for "eboshi (headgear worn by nobles in court dress)," and it's close to "obi-dome". There were no "obi-jimes"(sash belt) in the old days. Kimonos were all short sleeves and it was in the Meiji Era when they took the shape, which they have now. "Obi-jime" was not needed until then. The width of the kimono became larger, so there came the need for an "obi"(sash ) to support it.

Making the strings is a lot harder than joining them:

(How many steps of process are there?) Let's see, how many are there? That depends on the way I work on it, but basically, there is the dying process, the string-making process, and the process called "hekiru" where I set the strings like this, then join the strings and finish up. I said it roughly, but that's about it. Making the strings is a lot harder than joining them. Being able to handle the strings like this takes about ten years. Some people can join the strings really quickly.

Even if you tie them simply, you can't untie them:

(What are the components of "obi-jime"?) It's decreasing year by year. (Would it be better if you could use it differently as the Japanese clothes?) Yes. Silk strings are basically used after tying them up. The tying function for the silk strings are really splendid. (You can't untie the strings?) No. Even if you tie them simply, you can't untie them. It would be easier to untie if you use chemical fibers. For example, there were so many "kumi-himo"s used in ancient horse riding tools, and they were always tied to be in use. And it can't be tied well unless you don't use this silk. If the foreigners tie these silk to use them, they would understand how good it is. But when they use them without tying, then there is no value in the silk, you know. Silk is not just beautiful. (Were there different kinds of the tying knot?) A lot, I guess. Special tying knot like the ancient style can't be tied together the same way again when they were untied, people say. There was also a way of tying, in which people could tell whether the knot was once untied or not, yes.

There are many special strings, like that of a Noh mask:

(Have you learned from your father?) Yes. I was taught by many people, but there are their own field of work depending on the craftsmen, and they do different things. He joins strings this way, this other guy does it this way, like that. There are hardly anyone who is an expert at everything. I can't either. But still, I learned from so many people, so I know a lot of stuff now. (So is it like, if you want to learn how to join strings in a certain way, you go to this certain person?) Kind of like that. There are differences in making one same combination, like when I make 10, or a 100, or even one. There is also a difference when I make one with high quality and one without so much work. So there are various ways of making for a same thing. Depending on the craftsmen, there are ones who make ones with high quality, ones who make cheap ones, and many more. We have been doing this for a long time, so there are many craftsmen who used to work here. So I got in the workshop and was able to learn many things from them. It is difficult to get in the workshop. It was a great lesson for me. (How many workers are there now?) Yes, there are about 3 or 4 left. (All hand-made?) No, there are some products that we order to be done by machines. (You can do the work by machines?) Yes. So it's not like we do all of the work, there are many times when we ask our workers to make the orders we get. And these days there are many special strings like that of a Noh mask and a sword. Back then, there were specialized craftsmen, like one for strings of Noh masks. But they are starting to fade away, so when we get orders in our workshop, we work on the special products as priority. Making these "obi-jimes", which are products that can be made easily, are taken to my workers.

There are no successors:

(Do you dye?) Yes. I do especially the ones which the colors must match perfectly. Skills are gradually fading away. Half of the craftsmen that I learned from are dead. There are no successors. It would be one third of the number now ten years later, maybe. (Are the craftsmen who are left today old?) Yes, most of them are older than me. (Is it a disappointment for the legendary skill to die?) Yes. (Will it reborn?) Hmm..... no, no. If the skills are left in the books, it wouldn't be 100%, but we can use them as the reference. But when the actual person with the skills is gone, things that would be understood only by him will disappear in a flash. That happens a lot. (Is it difficult to leave the arrangements in the books?) No, it's not that hard. It's just that there are small, vague parts that cannot be left in words. Well, there is no need for those, but it would be enough to leave all the other skills in the books. There is a master in Asakusa, and he had a successor, but he quitted after working just for a while. (Do you have a successor?) We haven't had one, but I heard there is. (You heard there is?) Hahaha. (Are you relieved?) Hmm, it is whether if he is suitable at it or not. But I heard he is pretty good at it. (Do you need energy in this work?) Well, yes, energy is needed. But today, just the energy won't do. It doesn't mean that you will do a good job just because you've done your given things. We didn't expect these things to sell this well, but they have their demands. To work from now on, it doesn't mean that we should just continue what we have been doing. We haven't sold at retails, but since 15 years ago..... We can't do the business without retails.

We have the most different kinds in Japan:

We have the most different kinds in Japan. There is no other place where those things are always kept. (What about the strings for the mobile phones these days?) That helps. Hahaha. Men would like these lines too. This necktie uses the same "kumi-himo"s as the ones left in Houryuji and Shousouin. (Did you join them flatly?) Yes. It's a "kumi-himo", not a textile good. So when it comes to tying, it is really high quality work, and strong too. So even if you just stuff it in your pocket roughly, it would never get wrinkled. (What is the name of the diamond design?) It is called "kara-kumi." "Kara" comes from the ancient China, "Toh." And now, it has these assortments called "kaku-obi (flat sash for male)." This was used in "ikan-sokutai," which were ancient clothes for the officials those days. It was used in this "sokutai." So this was an "obi" used for high ranked officials in the Imperial Court.

The simpler the tools are, the more difficult they are:

(What is the most difficult work?) Let's see. The most difficult is the color. (To get the colors out?) Yes, and matching them. That is extremely hard. The joining of the strings is also a problem. The simpler the tools are, the more difficult they are to join. They change easily by the force we put into it. So movements that look really difficult are rather easier, like the ones where we use these complicated tools. These normal joining is the easiest, but you could tell easily whether it's good or bad. So we say "it starts on four and ends on four." Hahaha. (Why four?) Four knots. Hair braids are called "three-tied", right? That is called three-knot, and it is a kind of "kumi-himo". You join three things together like this, so braids are not knitting. Knitting is something more different. So the least number you can have with "kumi-himo" is three, like the braid. (How many does this have?) Well, that's normal, 24. These have 48. And these use different tools, so they have about 50 or 70.

Yes, it's heard well in the silence:

(How are the "kumi-himo" lessons where the women come to learn?) They do them often. After all, if you can't make and dye your strings as you wish, kumi-himos can't be made freely too. That process is really difficult. So we set the strings to one standard in order to sell them even for the beginners to use. (Is this the set where you can make one "kumi-himo"?) Yes, yes. But the length and the color are chosen already, so it can't be worked as you wish. Just form them together. (It makes these nice 'kling-kling' sound!) Yes, it's heard well in the silence. But you would hear nothing if you do that in department stores, because of the noise.

Ours are really simple:

(Wife) Surprisingly, old people come here often. They just watch and observe the products for about half an hour, drink tea, go home, then come back again saying "oh, this is nice." Hahaha. But that makes us happy. There are no shops in Japan, where they have silk strings with the so many kinds of colors and thickness. People say that they like our works, yes. (Are your cloth products sold well?) Yes, thank you. Ours are really simple, you know. Normal companies have their own designers, but we just make our products after sharing our opinions with the family, so that makes it simple. Most people say that that's the good thing about our products. So cloth with these colors get these taste because they are dyed by our hands, yes. (Do you dye?) Yes, I do. (Do you dye the strings for "kumi-himo"?) I don't dye the strings. My husband does that. It is really difficult to be satisfied with the tones of colors, and the colors are all different. (Unlimited?) Unlimited, really, yes.