Wrapping with the Furoshiki Prince

Lifestyle Culture Design Guide to Japan

In this video “furoshiki prince” Yokoyama Isao demonstrates how to use a Japanese traditional wrapping cloth to wrap a number of items.
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First things first. Perhaps you don’t have any furoshiki at home. Not a problem: Products sold as “furoshiki” wrapping cloths are not the only ones that can be used as such. Any piece of fabric, be it a handkerchief, a bandanna or a scarf, that is more or less square and whose ends can be knotted, can be used as a furoshiki.

Try wrapping an object, using a favorite fabric. As long as you master the basic mamusubi square knot, your hands, left to themselves, will do the work. With furoshiki you do not need scissors, needles, or thread, so simply untie the knots and you will be left with the original, flat piece of fabric. As practice makes perfect, repeat until you are satisfied with the result.

Watch “furoshiki prince” Yokoyama Isao transform a square of fabric into a bag or knapsack, simply by adapting the basic knotting technique. Pull out a suitable piece of fabric you have stashed away and experience its magic transformation into a furoshiki.

Demonstrated by “furoshiki prince” Yokoyama Isao.

(Originally published in Japanese on January 31, 2024.)

tradition furoshiki