Kainokuchi knot (Japanese traditional clothes) (貝の口 (和服))
Kainokuchi knot means a kind of the methods of tying an obi (sash). Although both men and women use this method, men use it more than women.
Its process of tying is fastening an obi around the body, turning up one of the ends and knotting it with the another end in komamusubi (a square knot). This method was named "kainokuchi" because two folds that overlap each other look like the mouth of a bivalve. An obi knot that is tied by folding the edges (tare) of both ends of the obi in half widthwise is also called a kandamusubi knot.
Kainokuchi knot is the most popular method in tying kaku-obi (a stiff sash for men) and is suitable to use under haori (Japanese half-coat) since its shape is flat. It is also used in tying women's hanhaba-obi (a half-width obi) and hitoe-obi (a simple summer obi), and it is often used, instead of bunko-musubi knot, for wearing Yukata (Japanese summer kimono). Kainokuchi knot is useful when travelling for long time since it hardly loses shape even leaning on the back of seat.