Wrapping gifts in Japanese paper (washi), tying them with decorative cords, and writing names or messages—this is a form of communication that conveys celebratory feelings. The cord used is called mizuhiki. There are many styles of knots, such as the awaji-musubi (interlocking knot), where loops are tied symmetrically on each side.

The founder of Kaga Mizuhiki, Sukeyoshi Tsuda, began his engagement business by researching the folding of origata—the way paper is folded to wrap gifts. Departing from the flat folding methods of the time, he created a style with three-dimensional folds, giving gifts a voluminous and elegant appearance. The decorative mizuhiki tied around these folds also evolved into intricate three-dimensional designs. Thus, the dazzling traditional craft of Kaga Mizuhiki took root in Kanazawa.

Rokusuke Tsuda, the fifth-generation successor and great-great-grandson of the founder, launched an accessory brand that flipped the traditional meaning of mizuhiki on its head. Since 2013, his brand “knot” has been redefining this craft.

“Mizuhiki is a form of communication that conveys feelings not through words, but through shapes. But mizuhiki accessories don’t carry that meaning. I expressed this contradiction with the word not. By adding a ‘k,’ it becomes knot, meaning ‘a tie.’ That’s the origin of the brand name,” explains Rokusuke.

Why take such a radical step? “Trad itionally, mizuhiki is used by people of marriageable age and older. It couldn’t reach teens or those in their twenties. Accessories could.” With prices starting around 5,000 yen, the line has gained wide popularity. “The ideal is for people to buy them for their beauty, and only later realize they’re mizuhiki,” says Rokusuke. In doing so, knot has pioneered an entirely new market.

As a child, Rokusuke dreamed of becoming a pilot. Instead, he studied industrial engineering at university, researching “residual stress in deep drawing of aluminum” (he laughs). After graduation, he worked for a decade in the web industry, planning internet services, designing, managing online shops, and analyzing algorithms.

Only afterward did he return to the family business as the fifth generation. “I didn’t overthink it. It was more like, ‘Maybe I’ll try mizuhiki next.’” Still, with his creative approach, he has produced a wide range of works.

His inspiration comes from everyday life. “Just yesterday, I was wandering around Ginza, naturally thinking: how could I incorporate this into our craft?” His method is to envision ideas, then simply try them. “Being small and agile is our strength.”

From mizuhiki New Year’s ornaments to mizuhiki bouquets, even mizuhiki Kumamon mascots—Rokusuke has continuously pushed boundaries. One notable line, wrap, strips mizuhiki down to its essence: gift wrapping for money. This reinterprets the traditional shūgi-bukuro (money gift envelope) for the modern age.

Currently, he is planning a new brand, “#000,” based on black—a color traditionally taboo in mizuhiki as it evokes funerals. This brand will feature not only mizuhiki but also black-themed works from traditional crafts across Japan.

Although he once avoided long-term planning, Rokusuke now looks 50 or even 100 years ahead. He hopes to broaden the possibilities of mizuhiki so the next generation can inherit not just the craft but multiple ways to express and share it.

“I’ve only accomplished a few percent of what I want to do,” he says. His journey promises to unveil ever-new worlds of mizuhiki that captivate hearts everywhere.