How to Tie a Japanese Hakama
- 1). Hold the sides of hakama at the waist and step into them, keeping the long, front two himo in the hands. Pull the hakama up over the gi to the belly button for men or at the waist for women.
- 2). Wrap the front himo around the back, cross them and bring them back around to the front. Tie the himo once in the front about two inches from the top of the hakama; adjust them for comfort and snugness and bring them around to the back.
- 3). Tie and knot the himo at the back, allowing the loose ends to hang. Bring up the back of the hakama over the just-tied belt (obi). If the hakama has a hard tongue (koshi-ita) at the rear top of the garment, tuck that securely under the knotted obi, then tuck the loose himo ends smoothly under the obi.
- 4). Bring the back two himo to the front of the hakama and cross them. Thread one end up under the layers of the obi and knot both straps. Tuck all the himo ends into each side of the obi all the way to the back of the hakama.
- 5). Examine the finished obi to ensure all layers and ends of the knotted himo are smoothly layered and invisible except for the upper one. Straighten out the back of the gi by reaching into each of the hakama's slide slits and pulling it down.
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