Kohaze clasp character

It is the hooked piece that catches a thread or loop. It fastens tabi, leg wraps, hand guards, pouches and protective wrappers around bound books. The character names the clasp, not the garment it closes.

A clasp identified as 鞐, excavated at the Kusado Sengen-cho site, is dated to the mid-to-late 13th century; that dates the object, not the character's first written use. Accounts describe a covered-button form in Japan's late Muromachi period, use on garments in the Momoyama period, and whale- and crane-bone fasteners in the Genroku era (1688–1704), followed by metal forms.

Are 小鉤 and 甲馳 other spellings of 鞐?

Yes. Both are alternative spellings for the same こはぜ clasp. 鞐 is a kanji coined in Japan; 小鉤 and 甲馳 are alternative Japanese spellings for the same fastener.

How do I type 鞐?

Type こはぜ in a Japanese IME and select 鞐 if offered. A Japanese IME converts kana (Japanese syllabic writing) to kanji; this uncommon character may not appear in its candidates.

Fonts used for Chinese, Japanese and Korean text may draw 鞐 with different stroke details. A change in outline alone does not mean the underlying text character has changed.