Do you use “Oshibori”?
Today I would like to talk a little about oshibori, the wet towels handed out at meals.
I thought it was normal to receive a small wet towel before meals, but they are not commonly offered overseas. Instead, there are things like finger bowls or napkins for wiping your mouth.
The history of oshibori is believed to date back to the time when the Japanese classics “Kojiki” and “The Tale of Genji” were written. When court nobles invited guests to their homes, they soaked a hand towel in a tub of water and wrung it out to use for wiping guests dirty hands and feet. This “squeezing”, or “shibori”, is said to be the origin of the word oshibori. When we look back on the history of oshibori, it makes us feel proud as Japanese people to think the spirit of hospitality has existed since this distant period.
By the way, October 29 is called “Oshibori day” in Japan, because of the combination of 10 fingers for the tenth month, and the sounds “fu” (2) and “ku” (9″), meaning fuku, to wipe, as in wiping one’s fingers.
However, oshibori is not just for wiping your hands. In the cold of winter, a warm oshibori on your neck warms your whole body, and can make you feel like you are experiencing a bath in a hot tub. I hope you get an opportunity to experience it for yourself.
There is also oshibori art.
In this art, the hand towel is folded into animals and characters. It is surprisingly difficult. There are many different ways to fold the oshibori, so please give it a try.
There is no end to what could be said about oshibori, but I will stop here.
When inviting guests into your own home, why not try offering them oshibori as a gesture of hospitality?