Also read fukurotsuzuri. Also called karatoji 唐綴 and fukurozōshi 袋草子. Lit. pouch-binding. The most common type of book-binding in Japan, made of thin sheets of paper which are inscribed or printed on only one side, folded in half text-side out, and stacked together. Covers are added to the front and back, and the book is stitched along the spine (the edges opposite the folds) so that each double-leaved page forms a pouch, fukuro 袋, which is open at the top and bottom. Although variations exist, typically four tiny holes are made at equidistant lengths along the spine edge and the sheets and covers are then bound together tightly with thread. The fukurotoji was introduced from China and began to replace most other binding styles after the 14th century. One of the earliest examples is the Anthology of Regent Ichijō, Ichijō sesshōshū 一条摂政集 (mid-12th century). Double-leaved pages are pasted together indicating the initial stage of pouch-binding.
