It looks like the success of the hit anime movie "Your Name" is spilling over to a traditional Japanese accessory called kumihimo, which is the Japanese form of braid-making. The accessory was prominently shown in the film being used by the female protagonist.
According to a report from KK Miller of Rocket News 24, the kumihimo were originally worn by the samurais as a way for them to connect the small rectangular plates that made up the armors that they wear. Nowadays, they are mostly used as fasteners for the jackets that are worn over kimonos, called the haori, and are worn with a kimono sash, called obi.
Mitsuha Miyamizu, the female protagonist, uses a red kumihimo as a way to decorate her hair. The male lead in the anime, Taki Tachibana, also uses a kumihimo but wears it on his wrist instead.
Because of the anime's popularity, which is now considered as the highest grossing anime film ever, the sales of kumihimo have also jumped through the roof. Miller said that fans of the anime film, especially young men and women, are trying to get their hands on the accessory to mimic how their favorite characters used them in the movie.
Some fans are even buying the accessory as a gift for their significant other, while there are those who prefer to make their own kumihimo. The success of the "Your Name" anime movie is being attributed, though, to the prominence of videos in social media that relate to the movie prior to its official release, according to a report from Anime-Now.
The report said that the amateur covers of the movie's theme song "Zen Zen Zense" or "Past-Past-Past Life" has allowed the film to be in the public's mind before its premiere. The release of the theme song prior to the movie added to the promotional campaign of the movie, as it increased the word-of-mouth promotion from fans.
With "Your Name" slated to premiere in North America on April 7, the anime movie's popularity, and possibly even the kumihimo, is expected to increase, according to Miller. Check out the trailer of the anime movie in the video below.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
