Yotsume toji
This is an example of the basic 4-hole sewing pattern used for Japanese pouch bindings, or yotsume toji. Since I like to stay true to historical bookbinding techniques whenever possible, I have tried to duplicate all elements of this historic binding process including materials, tools, and techniques (not just the sewing pattern). There are some traditional variations to this binding that I will show in coming days.
2 comments:
I just happen to have a book bound by this method. It is from Japan and was printed in 1947. It has a brown silk cover and delicate floral endpapers. The signatures have folds at the fore-edge rather than the spine. Sorry to say that the stitches are in need of repair.
Yes, most Japanese books were made with the pages folded like along the fore edge and I always do it this way too because Japanese paper has a "right side" and a "wrong side". So by folding it along the fore-edge, the "wrong side" is hidden inside the pouch and the "right side" of the paper is exposed for writing.
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