Manga de Japan

Even the Japanese Don't Know!? Methods and Types of Watoji ~Part2~

It is a bookbinding method which forms a pattern looking like the Japanese pattern “Asanoha” (hemp leaf).
“Asanohagara” (hemp leaf pattern) is a geometric pattern based on the regular hexagon from ancient times in Japan. It is so named for its shape similar to a hemp leaf.
In the past, there was a custom in Japan to make a newborn baby swaddled in the cloth with hemp leaf patterns. During the old days when the mortality was quite high, this pattern conveyed people’s desire to raise healthy children and sweep away ill fortune.
It may be more like a kind of decoration when used in the process of bookbinding, but I, the writer of this article, like its cute look very much.

• Traditional Culture