Red handmade mizuhiki bag charm attached to a monogram bag beside a mustard knit cardigan in Kyoto

Beyond Labubu: The Mizuhiki Bag Charm I Took Around Kyoto

For this Kyoto trip, I wanted to leave room for the places between the big sights: a café stop, a walk by the Kamo River, a small path I didn't need to hurry along. I brought my red mizuhiki keychain, too. It hung from my bag against a mustard cardigan, easy to spot whenever I looked down.

Taking my mizuhiki with me means bringing a little good luck wherever I go.

Green at Saiho-ji

At Saiho-ji, I kept looking at the ground. The moss, the tree shadows, the little patches of sunlight: there was plenty to look at without going very far. My red knot stood out against all that green.

Sunlight and tree shadows across the moss garden at Saiho-ji in Kyoto
Light through the trees at Saiho-ji, Kyoto.

Saiho-ji is well known as Kyoto's Moss Temple, so I wouldn't call it a secret spot. But it belongs in this diary because of the details I wanted to keep: the garden, a printed sutra sheet, the charm resting on the page. Those are the things I find myself going back to in my photos.

A red mizuhiki keychain resting on a printed sutra sheet during a visit to Saiho-ji in Kyoto
A red mizuhiki keychain resting on a printed sutra sheet during the visit.

If you're planning your own visit, check the temple's official visitor information before you go.

A café stop, with no rush to leave

A wooden table, a plate of cake, my keys set down beside it. This is the sort of stop I want to leave time for when I travel. The café doesn't need to be the one everyone has saved; I'm happy to sit for a while and let the next place wait.

Red mizuhiki keychain on a wooden cafe table beside a plate of cake in Kyoto
A café table, a plate of cake, and the same little red knot.

Looking through the bicycle photos, I like how the red knot almost matches the frame. The silver handlebar and brown grip make it feel very different from the temple pictures, even though it's the same charm. I'd brought it along for luck, and now it was turning up in all these ordinary moments, too.

A handmade red mizuhiki knot attached to a bicycle handlebar during a Kyoto outing
A close look at the mizuhiki knot on a bicycle handlebar, photographed during the trip.

Along the Kamo River

By the Kamo River, I held the keychain up for a photo. Behind it were the sky, the water and buildings on the other bank. After the close-up shots at the café, I wanted to keep some of that open view in the frame.

Red mizuhiki charm held against the sky and riverside scenery along Kyoto's Kamo River
The red mizuhiki charm against the sky and riverside scenery along the Kamo River.

The riverside path is part of the trip I'd happily make time for again. No long list of stops needed. When I'm looking for Kyoto's hidden gems, this is often what I mean: a quieter corner, or a few minutes somewhere I hadn't planned to stay.

The little knot coming home with me

I was a little tired of seeing the same Labubu bag charms everywhere and wanted to carry something that felt more like me. Mizuhiki drew me in through its colour and the way the cords cross. It's a Japanese paper-cord craft with a connection to gift giving; for this trip, the red knot held my own wish for good things along the way.

At Fibraura, we tie our knots by hand. Each one takes time, and the curves never settle in exactly the same way. I like those small differences. They're part of why I keep this one on my bag.

Now it reminds me of Kyoto: moss at Saiho-ji, a café table, a bicycle handlebar and the Kamo River. I'll bring it to the next place, too, with the same small wish for good luck.

Curious about the craft? Start with our guide to Awaji and Ume knots.

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