“Tenugui” Episode 1
“Tenugui” Episode 1
In our previous episode, we have mentioned that there are various types of tenugui usage. For example, we can observe shop sellers wearing Japanese washcloths in towns. The primary purpose of wearing them on their heads is to prevent sweat or hair from falling, however, we can observe many occasions where wearing the “tenugui” is more intentional in terms of creating a picture like frame for many shops. For instance, when we visited shops found on streets of Asakusa which is part of down-town Tokyo famously known for its old shrines and temples, we ran into a man selling famous souvenirs of “ningyo-yaki”* wearing the “tenugui” on his head. For your information, there are many ways of wearing Japanese washcloths.
*Ningyo-yaki: it is a traditional Japanese sweet or red bean bun, made of sponge cake with red bean filing in the inside. The shapes are taken from Senso-ji (Senso temple) representing the Kaminarimon (thunder gate) or the Gojuto (Japanese five-storey pagoda).
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