Senninbari

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Senninbari was Japanese for Thousand-person-stiches, a charm belt more commonly known in the west as the "Thousand Stitch Belt". Some of these belts were called Tiger belts as Tiger images were often embroidered into them. As a part of the Shinto culture of Imperial Japan, Japanese women created these senninbari for their men. These belts were believed to confer courage, good luck and immunity from injury(especially bullets) upon their wearers. These women had to be the man's mother, sister or wife, if married. These women stood near their local temple and asked any female passerby to sew in a red "French Knot" type of stitch with red being considered an auspicious colour. Women born in the "year of the tiger " could sew in 12 stitches (or as much as the women's age). Some belts were lined with the woman/women's hair. Additionally coins could be sewn into the belt. The senninbari were usually made as belts but could also be made as hachimaki or headbands, vests, and caps. The stiches were usually arranged in multiple rows but could also be stiched in patterns of flags, patriotic slogans and tigers. Tigers were common as they were known to be able to roam far away from home and then return safely. The most common slogan was bu-un cho-kyu for "eternal good luck in war". The belts were worn under the uniforms of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy.

Senninbari were featured in the 2006 movie Letters from Iwo Jima.