Obakure Fundoshi - Obakure Fundoshi

Japanese: オバクレフンドシ - おばくれふんどし

...In these rites of passage, uncles and aunts, especially aunts, may also play religious and spiritual roles. In the case of childbirth, aunts often give belly bands (Iwata obi), and in the case of coming-of-age ceremonies, for example, in Amami, aunts give loincloths called Obakure Fundoshi to celebrate the 13th birthday. In many regions, uncles and aunts essentially select spouses at marriages, and there are many cases in which uncles and aunts accompany the bride's wedding procession, which the bride's parents do not attend.

From [Fundoshi Iwai]

...The age is usually around 13 years old by the Japanese age reckoning system, but there have been cases as early as 9 years old. Wearing a loincloth symbolizes sexual maturity, but the custom of being given a loincloth by an aunt or nephew, known as obakure fundoshi, suggests that there was once more than a merely symbolic relationship between aunt and nephew. Around the time of the coming-of-age ceremony, in some regions, a suitable local man was asked to be the loincloth parent. ...

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Obakure Fundoshi" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…またこうした通過儀礼にあたっておじ･おば，とくにおばが宗教的霊的役割を果たすこともある。出産に関してはおばが腹帯(岩田帯)を贈ることが多く，また成人式にあたっては，例えば奄美では十三ニセーの祝いにオバクレフンドシとよばれる下帯をおばが贈ったという。結婚に際しておじ･おばが実質的な配偶者選択を果たす地域も多く，とくに嫁の両親の参加しない嫁入り行列におじ･おばがつき添う例はきわめて多い。…