A chord or sash (himo) is tied over a kimono, and the baby is placed under the kimono, against the parent's back or front, where the chord is tied over the kimono to keep them secured.
The practice of carrying a child against one's skin in Japan stems from the cultural practice of encouraging skinship between mother and child. This was believed to promote healthy development in the child.
Along with that, mothers were not always exempt from work - historical accounts of women in Japan will show that women would do manual labor with their baby strapped to their back.
For a baby that is carried with clothing that isn't shared, see baby carrier.
