loincloth; waist cloth
A traditional Japanese undergarment worn by men, especially in sumo, festivals, or historical contexts. Often a long strip of cloth wrapped around the waist and between the legs.
Sumo wrestlers wear a loincloth under their mawashi.
At the festival, men carry the portable shrine wearing only loincloths.
Compound of 下 (shita, 'under') and 帯 (obi, 'sash, belt'), literally 'under-belt'. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but the word has been used since the Heian period to refer to a cloth worn around the waist under outer garments.