The history of Japanese Furoshiki
The origins of Furoshiki
The Japanese tradition of wrapping valuable objects in cloth dates back more than a thousand years to at least the Nara period (710–794). Early forms of cloth wrapping were known as “tsutsumi” and were used to protect and store important possessions, including treasures kept in temples.
How Furoshiki got its name
There are different accounts of exactly when wrapping cloths became known as Furoshiki, but the name is closely connected with Japanese bathhouses. “Furo” means bath and “shiki” means to spread.
One well-known account dates the practice to the Muromachi period, when visitors to bathhouses wrapped their clothes in cloth, often marked with their family crest so their belongings could be identified. As public bathhouses became widespread during the Edo period (1603–1867), the use of Furoshiki became increasingly common among the wider population.
From bathhouses to everyday life
Furoshiki soon became useful far beyond the bathhouse. During the Edo period, people used the cloths to wrap and carry belongings in everyday life and while travelling. Woodblock prints from the period even show travellers carrying large Furoshiki bundles over their shoulders.
As Japan modernised and Western-style bags and disposable packaging became more commonplace, everyday use of Furoshiki declined. The tradition, however, never disappeared.
An old tradition with a modern purpose
In more recent years, Furoshiki has attracted renewed attention in Japan and around the world. A piece of fabric that can be folded, tied, carried and used repeatedly feels remarkably relevant in a world looking for alternatives to disposable packaging.
It is this combination of history, simplicity and continued usefulness that inspired Eazywraps to bring the idea of Furoshiki into modern gift wrapping.