- Senninbari
nihongo|"Senninbari"|千人針|Thousand-person-stitches was a strip of white cloth, approximately one meter in length, decorated with 1000 stitches in
red thread from 1000 women, used as anamulet given to soldiers on their way to war as a part of theShinto culture ofImperial Japan .The custom of producing "senninbari" originated during the
First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. The red color of the stitches was considered a “lucky” color, and the belts were believed to confer courage, good luck and immunity from injury (especially bullets) upon their wearers. A "senninbari" had to be made by a man's mother, sister or wife, if married, who would stand near their local temple and ask any female passerby to sew in aFrench knot stitch with red thread. However, according to the superstition, any woman born in the "year of the tiger " could sew either 12 stitches or her own age. Some belts were lined with the woman/women's hair. Additionally, coins could be sewn into the belt.The stitches were usually arranged in multiple rows but could also be stitched in patterns of flags, patriotic slogans and
tiger s. The most common slogan was "bu-un cho-kyu" for "eternal good luck in war". Tigers were popular as they were known to be able to roam far away from home and then return safely. Some of these belts were called "tiger belts", if embroidered in the image of a tiger.The "senninbari" were usually made as a
sash were worn under the uniforms of theImperial Japanese Army and Navy, but could also be made as "hachimaki " (headbands), belts, vests, and caps."Senninbari", more commonly known in the west as the "Thousand Stitch Belt", were featured in the 2006 movie
Letters from Iwo Jima .References
* [http://members.shaw.ca/nambuworld/senninbari.htm "Senninbari (Thousand Stitch Belts)"] , "Nambu World"
*cite book
last = Daugherty
first = Leo
authorlink =
year = 1997
title = War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War
publisher = Pantheon
id = ISBN 0394751728
*cite book
last = Dower
first = John W
authorlink =
year = 2002
title = Fighting Techniques of a Japanese Infantryman in World War II
publisher = Zenith Press
id = ISBN 0760311455
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