Also musubitoji 結び綴じ, lit. "knot-binding." The simplest style of book-binding, and usually a type of pouch-binding *fukurotoji 袋綴. The process of making yamatotoji involves punching four (or sometimes two) horizontal slits in the book near the spine and threading a flat cord (or sometimes a strip of paper) through each pair of slits. The cord ends are brought to the front, and each cord is secured tightly with a square knot. Yamatotoji also uses long corner pieces added to strengthen the otherwise unsupported corners.
Extant examples, dating from the 12th century, are decorative books, often waka 和歌 anthologies, in which colorfully designed cords, and front and back covers, are used. This binding style is sometimes called *kochōsō 胡蝶装, although this generally refers to a different type of book-binding.
