In Imperial Japan, schoolgirls would stand around public places like department stores and hold white strips of cloth, and then female passersby would take turns making stitches with red thread on the cloth. Once one thousand different women have made knots or stitches on the cloth, then it becomes a Senninbari shinto amulet, a strip of cloth stitched a thousand times and given as Shinto amulets by the women to Imperial Japanese soldiers going away to war. The stitches may form patterns or images of flags, patriotic slogans, etc. 

This photo was taken in front of the Whashin Department Store, an old landmark of Jongno-dong which was eventually demolished in 1987. You can see a passerby in a Korean-style chima dress making a stitch or knot on a white strip of cloth that is held by a schoolgirl in Monpe work pants. 

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) November 13, 1943

Sending Senninbari Shinto amulets as parting gifts to clear the way for students marching off to battle

Students of women’s colleges and girls’ high schools in Seoul took to the streets to receive Senninnbari Shinto amulets as gifts of encouragement to the students marching off to battle. In the streets of Jongno-dong at Whashin Department Store, Mitsukoshi Department Store, Chojiya Department Store, and Honmachi-suji, beautiful whirlpools of people soon surrounded the maidens in school uniforms.

◇．．．Cotton cloth and threads were provided with the efforts of the Korean Federation of National Power. There was a woman in a Japanese kimono who poured her heart into stitching the amulets. She approached the students in a modest manner and asked them, “Are your brothers going off to war?” “Yes, the Korean students are all going off to war!” one student responded, looking at the knots on the amulet and bowing with gratitude, as if the woman had really sewn it for her brother.

◇．．．There were three working women who had apparently dropped by during their lunch break. As they took turns sewing and finished their stitches, all three of them stood upright and immobile, and then bowed politely to the Senninbari Shinto amulet that they had just stitched. They bowed silently, as if to say, “We wish you the best going off to war. We hope that you will perform many heroic deeds”. The recipient of the stitches returned the bow with a gleam in her eyes. It was a very moving scene. [Photo: In front of Whashin Department Store]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-11-13

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年11月13日

晴の出陣に千人針の餞

学徒の出陣へ激励の千人針を餞しようと起ち上った京城府内の女専、高女学生生徒達は街頭に進出した。鐘路の和信、三越、丁子屋前、本町筋などでは制服の処女を囲んで忽ち美しい渦を巻く。

◇．．．総力聯盟の骨折りで綿布も糸も揃った。”あなたのお兄さんが出征なさるのですか”といい乍ら寄って来て虔しやかに、しかも心を籠めて縫う和服姿の奥さんがある。”ええ、半島学徒の総出陣ですわ”と、結び目を見ながら、女学生も本当にわが兄の為に縫って貰ったような感謝でお辞儀をする。

◇．．．お昼の時間に出て来たらしい三人づれの若い勤労女性、番を待って縫い終わると、三人が揃って直立不動の姿勢で、いま自分が結んだ千人針へ丁寧に最敬礼をした。よくぞ征って下さいます。どうぞ充分お手柄を立てて下さいとの心を無言のお辞儀に示したのである。縫ってもらった方も、眼にきらりと光るものを見せて礼を返す。感激の場面であった。【写真＝和信前にて】