Nodome

Japanese rope terminology

Nodome is a crossing hitch or friction used in Japanese rope bondage to secure a crossing, isolate sections of a tie, or change the direction of the working rope.

Its shape resembles the hiragana character の (no), which is where the name and the related term nonoji come from.

Japanese: の止め / の留め
Reading: nodome
Common English description: crossing hitch or crossing friction

A nodome creates friction where one rope crosses another part of the structure.

Depending on the tie, it can help keep wraps separated, hold a crossing in place, or redirect the rope without introducing a bulky knot.

It is commonly encountered in chest harnesses, gote structures and many other ties where rope needs to be controlled cleanly at a crossing point.

These terms form a small concept cluster: they all relate to securing or controlling rope, but they describe different functions or naming traditions.

Nodome
A crossing hitch or friction used to secure and control rope at a crossing point.

Nonoji (のの字)
Literally “the character no.” This name refers to the visual resemblance of the hitch to the hiragana character の and is often used closely alongside nodome.

Tome nawa / tomenawa (止め縄)
A broader securing concept referring to rope used to stop, secure or finish part of a structure.