Below are some pictures to help you see what a well-tied, traditional rokushaku fundoshi looks like.
Don't worry too much about the "right" or "wrong" way to tie your
fundoshi -- there are many regional variations, comfort is key, and
practice is fun! If it seems too bulky, too loose, or too tight, try a
new method. Try a different fabric. You can google search fundoshi, rokushaku, 褌 (which is the kanji for fundoshi), 六尺褌 (which is the kanji for rokushaku fundoshi), or ふんどし (which
is a more informal style of kanji) for lots more information and
photos. A lot of it is in Japanese, but a fair amount is in English.
Fundoshi are similar to shimekomi and mawashi, although
these names refer specifically to the outfits of sumo wrestling, which
are heavier-duty fabric wrapped in a very specific way.
The first fundoshi I ever saw was in a Time-Life book about Japan. The widely-reproduced photo was by Horace Bristol, Jr., taken in 1946. You can send this famous photo to your friends as an e-card courtesy of National Geographic.
Fundoshi are worn publicly at festivals called Hadaka Matsuri (祭り or 裸祭り), which are Shinto winter purification festivities where thousands of loincloth-clad young men compete and scramble after shingi -- good luck sticks tossed into the steaming crowds. Whoever successfully brings the sticks to the temple out of the melee is granted good luck for the year.
Fundoshi are worn publicly at festivals called Hadaka Matsuri (祭り or 裸祭り), which are Shinto winter purification festivities where thousands of loincloth-clad young men compete and scramble after shingi -- good luck sticks tossed into the steaming crowds. Whoever successfully brings the sticks to the temple out of the melee is granted good luck for the year.
Check YouTube or Vimeo for some helpful videos. You can find fundoshi for
sale all over the internet, but I highly recommend making your own --
it's easy, cheap, sustainable, and fun! Plus you can express yourself
with any color or pattern you can find.
The cloth traditionally used is called Sarashi, however I find that this "Island Breeze Cotton Gauze" is an inexpensive and comfortable alternative. You'll need 3-4 yards, depending on your waist measurement (any extra fabric can be trimmed off). 3-4 yards of cloth, torn lengthwise into strips 8-12 inches wide will yield 4 or 5 fundoshi!
The cloth traditionally used is called Sarashi, however I find that this "Island Breeze Cotton Gauze" is an inexpensive and comfortable alternative. You'll need 3-4 yards, depending on your waist measurement (any extra fabric can be trimmed off). 3-4 yards of cloth, torn lengthwise into strips 8-12 inches wide will yield 4 or 5 fundoshi!
Click the Help & Tips link at the top of this page for some different diagrams, videos, and written instructions.
Fundoshi
are comfortable and secure. Tied right, you could do something
extremely active (i.e. swimming, water skiing, or rock climbing.)
Fundoshi are also very comfortable for lounging around or leisure
activities, sunning, saunas. Fundoshi are perfect
if you have latex or elastic allergies that prevent you from wearing
conventional underwear.
Despite
their sensuous look (to Western eyes), fundoshi were once an everyday sight in
Japan. As undergarments, they have been surpassed commercially in the last century
by Western-style undies -- but there is still one very important
difference: fundoshi represent purity and freedom from shame in its
parent culture, a far cry from "unmentionables" hidden
away beneath outer layers. No one would dream of wearing
underwear to a festival -- only fundoshi would be considered proper
attire.
At one time, it would have been completely ordinary to see fishermen, swimmers, dock workers, and farmers wearing fundoshi. The minimal coverage of the fundoshi was extremely practical for hard work and Japan's humid summers. Fundoshi provides support, keeps the genitals contained and out of harms way, and wicks moisture away from the body.
Europeans in Japan, however, perceived fundoshi as an immodest garment (which must have baffled its native wearers) because it showed the buttocks -- taboo in Western nations. Fundoshi stopped being a common sight in public, except at annual Shinto festivals (Hadaka Matsuri), which frequently take place in winter. Tests of endurance as well as celebrations of life and good fortune, these Matsuri require only fundoshi, tabi socks, and a headband. Since clothing could often be a symbol of rank, wearing only fundoshi renders every participant an equal.
Europeans in Japan, however, perceived fundoshi as an immodest garment (which must have baffled its native wearers) because it showed the buttocks -- taboo in Western nations. Fundoshi stopped being a common sight in public, except at annual Shinto festivals (Hadaka Matsuri), which frequently take place in winter. Tests of endurance as well as celebrations of life and good fortune, these Matsuri require only fundoshi, tabi socks, and a headband. Since clothing could often be a symbol of rank, wearing only fundoshi renders every participant an equal.
Besides at Hadaka Matsuri, one common contemporary sighting of fundoshi is on the hips of the taiko drummers of such fiercely fit drumming groups like Kodo and Za Ondekoza:
Another contemporary place where fundoshi are frequently seen is in manga and anime, especially in story lines that take place in the past, i.e. medieval Japan. In Hiyao Miyazaki's famous anime film Princess Mononoke, Prince Ashitaka wears a fundoshi when he fords a river with his trusty red elk Yakul, carrying the rest of his clothing safe and dry on his head. In historical or even fantasy settings, the fundoshi
In contemporary media, fundoshi can often be glimpsed as fanservice (basically, where readers or viewers get to see a favorite character in their underwear and/or in a compromising position). Some of this has to due with the scanty, almost-naked quality of the fundoshi, which contrasts with traditional culture that defines wearing fundoshi as essentially fully dressed during festivals, performing certain occupations, or strenuous activities.
Perhaps you've seen Samurai Jack in his fundoshi on Cartoon Network?
So, although the fundoshi may seem exotic, it's a garment born of practicality. Although it may look complicated, it helps to know it's just a single length of cloth, tied around your hips and between your legs with a simple set of twists. Easier than tying a necktie.
The fundoshi has been around almost 1,200 years -- that's saying something!
Modern underwear has only been around about 100 years.
