The Samurai's Secret Cord

Sep 12, 2025

「EP.71」真田紐

SANADA HIMO
Kyoto, Shiga, Okayama Prefecture

「transcript」

Sanada himo, the world's thinnest weave, gets its legendary name from warrior Sanada Yukimura. Unlike braided cords that stretch, this weaving technique beats down threads with force, creating incredible strength that stops blows from the sharpest katanas. After Sanada Yukimura's defeat, exiled samurai wove these cords for survival, and merchants called them "Sanada's cords" to boost sales.

The real transformation came when tea master Sen no Rikyu adopted them for tea ceremony. Each tea school developed unique patterns and colors, where the cord pattern served as an "ID" while the tying method was the "password." This wasn't just decoration but security, ensuring tea containers hadn't been tampered with when poisoning was a real threat.

Today, only three places preserve this craft: Kyoto's Enami workshop maintains 15 generations of hand-weaving tradition, Shiga's Nishimura family represents the last pure hand-weavers using 70-year-old wooden looms, and Kanazawa's Orimoto Sumiya combines tradition with modern precision. Sanada himo is still used both for practical and decorative uses, proving that true strength comes not from size, but from integrity woven into every thread.

*The assets featured here are the work of their rightful creators, credited below