Japanese Military Mixed Collection ◆Army Personal Notebook ◆1000-Stitch Needle Belt (Soldier's Charm) 千人針 (Sen-nin-bari) Size: 13×130 cm Material: cotton 1000-Stitch Needle Belt was a prayer technique and resulting amulet that was popular in Japan until World War II, in which many women sewed threads into a piece of cloth and tied knots in it. It is a folk belief to pray for the longevity of military fortune, in other words, for soldiers' good luck on the battlefield. A white cloth about one meter long is sewn with red thread to make a knot (tama-knot) at a glance. The goal of this activity is to have 1,000 women sew one stitch on each piece of cloth. In those days, many people called out to each other in the neighborhood and on the street. The magical power of the cloth/thread/red color/ and the thoughts of a thousand women sewing one stitch at a time were combined in this thousand needle. There are records that soldiers on the battlefield fought by wrapping it around their stomachs or heads as a talisman. Please look closely at the many tangled red threads. It is threatening, terrifying, and crazy to have a thousand people involved in a mere piece of cloth. In a sense, this item expresses a will that is uniquely Japanese. Made of cotton and thread, it is over 80 years old. Old things are wonderful. Nice collection. Carefully packaged and shipped from Japan to overseas. We have other rare items up for current auction, so please check back.