Thursday, September 24, 2009

How to use furoshiki


[Click for a larger view.]

Wikipedia explains:

風呂敷, furoshiki, a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth . . . frequently used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods.
In 2006, Yuriko Koike, then Japan’s Minister of the Environment, devised a contemporary version of furoshiki:
I’ve created what you might call a “mottainai furoshiki.” The Japanese word mottainai means it’s a shame for something to go to waste without having made use of its potential in full. The furoshiki is made of a fiber manufactured from recycled PET bottles, and has a birds-and-flowers motif drawn by Itoh Jakuchu, a painter of the mid-Edo era.
The above chart comes from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment. Note the tag in the lower-right corner.

(Thanks, Rachel!)

Further reading
Furoshiki (Wikipedia)
How to use furoshiki (Ministry of the Environment)
Mottainai furoshiki (Ministry of the Environment)

comments: 5

Berit said...

I'm a big fan of furoshiki! A wrapping and gift all in one. Thanks for posting this "all-in-one" diagram tutorial.

Anonymous said...

Does Rachel have her own blog yet? She’s been pointing you to lots of good stuff lately.

Michael Leddy said...

Berit, have you ever used one for shopping? I am semi-seriously thinking about getting one and taking it to the grocery store for small hauls. It’d be a lot more interesting than the recycled bags we now use.

Matt, there’s no Rachel blog. But yes, she likes sending things that she knows I’ll like.

Rachel said...

Matt--I am my father's daughter!

Michael Leddy said...

(Hello daughter!)