Endlessly useful - Tenugui Towels
Tenugui hand towels have long been a common place feature of daily life in Japan. Originally for wiping off perspiration or drying hands, over the years these thin cotton towels turned out to be very handy for all sorts of essential tasks, from tying up the hair to wrapping shopping parcels. A recent trend is to print tenugui in fashionable designs for interior decoration and to make stylish face masks. We visit an old store in Tokyo to see how they create images with beautiful gradations using the traditional Chusen dyeing technique, with each tenugui being crafted individually by hand.
VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN
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Tenugui hand towels have long been a common place feature of daily life in Japan. Originally for wiping off perspiration or drying hands, over the years these thin cotton towels turned out to be very handy for all sorts of essential tasks, from tying up the hair to wrapping shopping parcels. A recent trend is to print tenugui in fashionable designs for interior decoration and to make stylish face masks. We visit an old store in Tokyo to see how they create images with beautiful gradations using the traditional Chusen dyeing technique, with each tenugui being crafted individually by hand.
VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN
Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe
Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net
Follow us:
Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook
Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram
Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter
DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion
Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital
Check out our Podcasts:
Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify
Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts
Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic
Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer
Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher
Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein
#TheManilaTimes
#DailyNews
#Japan
#Tenugui
#Towels
#Wrapper
#Cotton
#Tokyo
#Style
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:07 Tenugui hand towels have long been a feature of daily life in Japan.
00:16 Made from thin cotton, they come in a standard size of 35 by 90 centimeters.
00:26 This versatile towel first became popular about 400 years ago.
00:30 At first it was simply for wiping away perspiration or protecting the face or hair from dust.
00:39 But even today people are still finding new uses for Tenugui.
00:48 They're a great way to wrap box lunches and drink bottles.
00:55 And even things like tissue boxes.
00:57 A simple everyday item that reflects so much of Japanese culture.
01:03 Modern designers are finding the Tenugui a great medium to express their creativity.
01:23 Simple to frame, they add a decorative touch to any interior.
01:27 Some Tenugui are really small works of art.
01:35 The beautiful gradations on this design are achieved using a traditional technique called "Tusen-dai".
01:44 This store has a history going back 150 years.
01:53 This is Kobayashi Takuya.
01:56 He continues the tradition of "Tusen-dai" Tenugui.
02:01 Each piece is crafted individually using quality cotton chosen to feel good on the skin.
02:10 First a stencil is placed over the cotton material.
02:15 The artisan then spreads glue through the stencil.
02:19 The dye only colors the unglued parts, revealing the pattern from the stencil.
02:24 Since they are made by hand, each Tenugui is slightly different in color.
02:35 Everyone's Tenugui will be unique.
02:39 For more complex designs, the artisan creates walls of glue to help the Tenugui stick to the surface.
02:46 To do this, the cloth isn't soaked in glue, and two colors are applied simultaneously.
02:50 Kakigori is a kind of shaved ice popular in summer.
02:58 Delicate gradations of color suggest a summery feel.
03:03 The artisan then creates a wall of glue to prevent the different colors spreading and mixing as they are applied.
03:13 Delicate gradations of color suggest a summery feeling.
03:16 These lovely Tenugui designs are now finding other applications.
03:25 People currently want face masks that are fashionable and comfortable to wear, and Tenugui material is perfect.
03:35 At present, people are wearing masks for long periods each day.
03:41 I think our Tenugui masks are catching on because of their bright, cheerful patterns.
03:45 Kobayashi, hearing that schools were short of face masks, decided to give Tenugui masks to his local primary school.
03:53 It's much softer than regular masks. It feels great. Mine's a chameleon. Cool!
04:05 The endlessly versatile Tenugui. A familiar everyday item for centuries, it continues to find new uses.
04:12 Tenugui.
04:14 Tenugui.
04:16 Tenugui.
04:18 Tenugui.
04:20 Tenugui.
04:23 [music]
04:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]