A maru obi is a type of women's obi used in Japan. It is made by folding a piece of fabric that is 1 shaku 8 sun 5 bu wide and at least 1 jo 1 shaku 5 sun long in half, sewing the edges, and inserting a canvas obi core to make it half the width. The front and back have the same pattern. In the mid-Edo period, maru obi were devised to match the larger hairstyles, and the obi width and obi ties for formal wear became larger. Fabrics such as brocade, gold brocade, and satin were used for the obi.