Obi celebration - Obiwai

Japanese: 帯祝 - オビイワイ

An event in which a pregnant woman is given a belly band (Iwata obi) in the fifth month of pregnancy (seventh month in some regions). It is also called the obi-kishi (belt-tying ceremony). It is generally held on the day of the dog, as it is said that dogs give birth easily. Iwata obi is said to be an abbreviation of yuihada obi, and its purpose is to keep the lower abdomen warm and the fetus in a normal position. Even in the early modern period, when thinning (the killing of newborns to reduce the number of mouths to feed) became common, it was still believed that a fetus that had undergone the obi-iwai ceremony had to be delivered. However, nowadays, formal obi-kishi (belt-tying ceremonies) are rarely held.

Source: "Japanese Handy Book for Quick Responses" published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Co., Ltd. Information about the Japanese Handy Book for Quick Responses

Japanese:

妊娠五カ月目(地方によっては七カ月目)に、妊婦に腹帯(岩田帯)を結ぶ行事。着帯式ともいう。犬の安産にあやかって、一般に戌(いぬ)の日が選ばれる。岩田帯は結肌(ゆいはだ)帯の略といわれ、下腹部の保温、胎児の位置を正常に保つ意味がある。間引き(口減らしのため新生児を殺すこと)などが多く行われるようになった近世でも、帯祝のすんだ胎児は産まねばならないとされていた。しかし、現在は形式ばった着帯式を行うことは少ない。

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