'your name.' Bracelet Making Demonstration at AnimeJapan 2017 

\'your name.\' Bracelet Making Demonstration at AnimeJapan 2017

At AnimeJapan last weekend, a lucky few were able to get a hands-on experience with "kumihimo," a traditional silk thread braiding art form. If you\'ve seen

anime film, Mitsuha and her family make these bracelets in a traditional way, and one of the bracelets has an important role in the film.

Those interested had to apply for a lottery to participate, with only 16 people able to make the bracelets at a time during each 30-minute timeslot. The demonstration cost 3,000 yen (about US$27) to participate, if you were chosen from the lottery.

is complex and time consuming, so those who participated made a much simpler version ("Yubi Kumihimo" or finger-loop braided cord), using the same orange, red, and blue colors that were used in the bracelet for the film. For comparison, here\'s the replica of the bracelet (top in picture below) compared to the one participants made at the event (bottom).

The event also had books on display about the art form, as well as a display of some of the thread and other objects used in kumihimo, like the "marudai" (circular wooden stand) that Mitsuha, her sister, and her grandmother used in the film.

If you\'ve ever seen some of the more speciality Pocky boxes in Japan, you\'ll notice the boxes have pictures of kumihimo cords on them.

For the demonstration, participants sat at a table with the threads already prepared to get started, attached to a hook and a piece of bamboo.

There were artisans at every table to explain the process and then go around to each person and explain it more in depth, having participants practice until they got the hang of it. Here\'s a quick clip of how the braiding process worked.

Here\'s a longer clip from AnimeJapan\'s YouTube channel.

For those who couldn\'t get to make the bracelet through the lottery, the booth area also featured kits that could be purchased for 2,500 yen (about US$23) with thread, instructions, and a hook, to make the bracelet at home.

\'s store does have the full replica bracelet of the one featured in

The tradition of kumihimo has a long history and is also still used nowadays for kimono decorations, religious ceremonies, and accessories.

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