How To Wrap A Japanese Gift
The one item that makes a Japanese gift unique is that it tries not to use paper. Traditionally, Japanese use fabric and this has become even more pronounced lately with the Japanese government encouraging its citizens to return to this ancient tradition.
The Japanese term for gift-wrapping with fabric is called Furoshiki. There is another method which uses both Japanese paper and fabric called tsutsumi. Both are ideal for all occasions.
Another interested Japanese word to know with regards to gift-wrapping is Origata. This is wrapping a gift without cutting paper. Interestingly, Japanese do not wrap a gift for the purpose of hiding the gift. It is really a gentle art of concealment. In other words, they want the gift to “peek” out of the wrapper as a sort of teaser.
The choice of paper of fabric is very significant and can mean the difference between a happy, solemn, or sad occasion. For example, if you use white Japanese paper, you are protecting your gift from any impurities. The creases in the Japanese paper represents a commitment to keep the gift pure. The color used is white even if there are different shades of Japanese paper because white is a symbol color for superior spirits and should be pure from contamination. If you choose to use the color red, you are saying that your gift is full of life and will rejuvenate the person accepting the gift. The gift in red Japanese paper could be money or something for good health. This is why money envelopes in Asia are all plain red with a few characters.
As you can see, the complexities of wrapping a gift Japanese style means devoting time and attention to every detail. The act of wrapping is a gift itself and the Japanese take immense pride in making sure the presentation is clean, neat, and aesthetically pleasing aside from being symbolically correct.
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