Furoshiki - the wrapping paper of tomorrow?

Now there's nothing unusual about a sight like this just before Christmas. Three presents wrapped and ready to go. But take a closer look and you might just notice something unusual. Because in an effort to be more eco-friendly an old tradition is being revived in Japan.
By using special furoshiki cloths, people can open their presents and then re-use the wrapping as a shopping bag.

Made from different fabrics these Japanese cloths are tied using a variety of techniques, similar to origami.
The word furoshiki translates as bath spread, because the cloth was commonly used to carry bundles of clothing that people brought to public baths.
Beyond clothing, the cloth was used to wrap parcels and gifts and carry a variety of objects of different shapes and sizes.
But recently, the use of the cloth has diminished and few people still retain the skills necessary to fold them.

For the most part the use of furoshiki is reserved for formal occasions. The silk furoshiki produced in the Fuchida workshop is all made to order and is almost exclusively saved for weddings. Bearing a household crest, the cloth is used to wrap gifts exchanged between the families of the bride and groom. When Hidetaka took over the family business he began to think about how furoshiki could be introduced into everyday life.

Today's designs are in a range of cotton fabrics that will hopefully inspire the next generation to give it a go.To Kakefuda, the key point about furoshiki is the versatility of the cloth. It's reusable, washable, decorative and adaptable .

So if you've still got some presents to wrap this Christmas, and fancy a rather fetching bag to step out with, don't think 'paper' think furoshiki.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Christmas
• furoshiki
• wrapping paper
• Japan
• presents
• cloths
• news
• asian

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