hi! I wanted to ask about the Japanese silk thread you use – I'm going to Japan soon and wanted to pick some up in person, do you know of any stores in Tokyo that would sell some and if so, any brands you recommend? thanks so much!
Hi!! There are a bunch of stores where you can get this type of silk thread. It will usually be in the hand-sewing section, and sold on little cards.
If you're heading to Nippori Fabric district (great also for second hand kimono/haori/hakama shopping), you should also find some sewing shops that carry it there.
If not, most sewing supply chains will carry it. The two big ones are Okadaya (there is one outside Shinjuku station, but there are a lot in general) or a Yuzawaya.
If you find a more independent sewing crafts store, you might luck out and find some on sale (happened to me once way out in Takayama. 80m of silk for 80 yen. deal of the century. I hadn't even started sewing endbands yet, had no idea what I stumbled on but got them anyways).
As for brands, there's a whole bunch but sizing is pretty standardized so I'm usually not bothered about which one (I use KNK, Daruma, Fujix/Tire, etc interchangeably). You want to make sure the card says "100% 絹" on it. Check how many meters you get for the price and what size it is (9号 or 16号). 9 is thinner and my personal preference, but 16 will let you finish an endband faster.
(meters are noted down in the darkness on the bottom)
Once you come back and have fallen in love, you can buy a whole 171 color set on the wholesale site Nippon Chuko. They have a minimum 20,000 yen for international orders, but the per-card pricing is the best you'll find anywhere except in the sale box of that random store in Takayama.
Best of luck to you in the endwyrm battle!
