When considering chic alternatives to paper gift wrap, or even the standard-issue cloth shopping bag that has become de rigueur for all eco-minded consumers, try experimenting with the Japanese tradition of furoshiki.
Furoshiki—literally “bath (furo) spread (shiki, a form of shiku=to spread)”—originated as a way to carry one’s clothes to, and mark one’s territory at, the public bathhouse. The centuries-old custom gradually developed into a stylish and functional wrapping technique, consisting of a square cloth made of silk, cotton, rayon or nylon tied in various styles and shapes to wrap gifts, clothes and other items.
More recently, the Japanese government introduced a campaign to promote furoshiki as the embodiment of the “3Rs” of environmental awareness: reduce, reuse and recycle. Indeed, the versatile cloth can artfully arranged as a shopping bag or purse; as a carryall for your lunch or picnic nosh, doing double duty as a placemat or tablecloth; and as gift wrap, serving as a second gift.
In 2006 the then-Japanese Minister of the Environment, Yuriko Koike, designed the “mottainai furoshiki” as part of the government’s campaign to raise awareness of waste and its impact on the environment. Printed on cloth made from recycled PET bottles, Koike’s “mottainai furoshiki” capitalized on the Japanese concept of mottainai—the idea that it’s a pity for “something to go to waste without having made full use of its potential.”
According to Koike, “furoshiki is so handy that you can wrap almost anything in it regardless of size or shape.” It may be handy but to the uninitiated, it can seem a bit complex. To help modern furoshiki users master the numerous style and shape options, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment published an official “How to” guide.
Furthermore, Koike declared, “As my sincere wish, I would like to disseminate the culture of furoshiki to the world.” As part of that mission, officials attending this summer’s G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan, received—among other environmentally friendly souvenirs—reversible furoshiki wrapping cloths.
In the United States, the technique of wrapping with furoshiki has been featured on The Martha Stewart Show and Good Morning America, where San Franciscan Vicki Mihara Avery demonstrated the green wrapping technique in 2007.
To check out different kinds of furoshiki, visit http://www.ecoshikis.com/ and http://furoshiki.com/home.php. Or, see Gift Wrapping With Textiles: Stylish Ideas from Japan by Chizuko Morita.
You can also make your own furoshiki: head to the fabric store to choose your own cloth, or use a scarf or shawl you already own.More
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