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Karakumi Hirao

Photos and Words by Makiko Tada

Hirao is a wide sash used to hang swords for the Emperor and other high class members of the court. There is a book which was written by Seigyoku Takatsukasa in 1972 in Japanese and is now out of print. She was a student of my grand teacher when she was very young. My grand teacher was a National Living Treasure of Japan, the late Jyusuke Fukami. He had only three students, Ms. Seigyoku Takatsukasa, Mr. Yuji Furusawa (deceased), and Mrs. Kazuko Kinoshita (deceased) who was my teacher. Seigyoku Takatsukasa is a head nun of Zenkohji temple which is a very important temple, so she does not make Kumihimo any more. The works have been passed to me and the son of Yuji Furusawa.