About Tenugui
Tenugui is mainly made of cotton cloth. (like washcloth and towel.)
Tenugui is used to wipe off sweat and water after washing your face and hands and to wash your body when bathing.
Tenugui is characterized by both ends being cut off.
In other words, there are no seams anywhere.
Therefore, Tenugui has the advantage that it is easy to dry, easy to tear vertically, and easy to keep clean.
The part that has been cut off will be frayed gradually while in use but will stop where it has been frayed to a certain extent, so if you cut the thread that came out, you will not be bothered.
Tenugui is recommended in the summer in Japan.
The beginning of Tenugui
It is said that Tenugui existed from the Nara and Heian periods.
Tenugui is a word derived from the ancient word “Tanogohi.
(Ta = Te = hand, Nogohi = Nugui = wipe off)”.
Tenugui was made of linen in the old days, and only the noble people could use linen cloth.
However, when cotton cultivation became popular in the mid-Edo period, cotton Tenugui spread rapidly among people.
Initially, it was pure white cotton, but when the pattern was dyed using indigo dyeing, Tenugui inserted family crests, and trade names were made. As a seasonal greeting or celebration, customs distributing Tenugui was born.
Dyeing with your favorite pattern was also popular, and designs devised by familiar Kabuki actors of the Edo period still remain traditional patterns.
Tenugui was used not only in public baths but also as headwear and headbands, and Edokko (people living in Edo) competed in various ways of wearing and winding.
The style still remains today.
The current use of Tenugui
For general current people, Tenugui was used only on special occasions such as festivals.
However, when you walk through fashionable spots recently, you can find specialty Tenugui shops with brightly woven fabrics.
Tenugui’s shops have also been opened in popular fashion buildings such as Tokyo Skytree Town and KITTE.
With the advancement of dyeing technology, complicated patterns have become possible, and recently, these have been adopted as fashionable items, mainly by some women.
You can also decorate your favorite Tenugui with a picture on the wall as an interior.
