The tassels hanging down from the bottom of the apron.
Do you know where this word "tusa" comes from?

In fact, it is said that this "tassel" originated from the decorations used at shrines.

The New Year decorations at shrines consist of tassels made of bundles of straw hanging down.
Shimekazari is a type of rope called shimenawa that is strung to distinguish sacred places where gods are enshrined from other places, and has served as a kind of talisman.
The reason for decorating the entrance of the house with a shimenawa rope during the New Year is to prevent evil spirits from entering the house.



One example of an item that features tassels, which can be considered a design element of shimekazari, is the kesho-mawashi worn by sumo wrestlers.




Originally, sumo was a religious ritual offered to the gods in prayer for bountiful harvests, so it makes sense that the decorative mawashi worn by sumo wrestlers has tassels attached to it.

The meaning behind the apron lies not only in its tassels but also in its long waist straps.

The reason why the waist straps of aprons are basically red and white is because red and white are auspicious colors. They also represent prosperity in business.

Although it is called red and white, it is not actually red, but a yellowish red called vermilion.


Vermilion is said to be a color that wards off evil, which is why it is often used in the construction of shrine buildings and torii gates.


Vermilion is also called orange.
As the orange fruit can last through the year without dropping its fruit, it has been called the "daidai" (for generations) and has been considered an auspicious fruit. This is also why oranges are often used in New Year decorations.

The apron strings are made in vermilion (orange) to bring good luck and protect against evil and misfortune.

Currently, Anything's aprons are manufactured in Toyohashi, a city famous for its aprons, but the waist straps are made in Kannabe-cho, Fukuyama City.
Fukuyama is known as the production area of ​​Bingo Kasuri and working wear. What Toyohashi and Fukuyama have in common is that they both have a technical foundation for handling cotton yarn.
The waist straps are also manufactured using a shuttle loom, which is used to weave the apron fabric.

It is made from 100% cotton and has a firm yet stretchy weave, making it a masterpiece that, along with the Toyohashi apron fabric, shows the craftsmanship behind it.

http://www.anything.ne.jp/maekake/colum19061.jpg