The Small Towel Phenomenon

A small towel as such isn’t strange to anyone. Quite a useful thing, but usually only one is enough. And that’s why a few times already I had a conversation with friends when they expressed their surprise at this thing upon coming to Japan – so I decided to explain to you too the Small Towel Phenomenon, the so called tenugui (手拭), literally “hand wiper”.

Tenugui in the Studio Ghibli shop.

As it stands, in Japan tenugui are a fair deal more popular than in the West, especially as a souvenir or a fairly non-obliging present due to its cute designs and low price. I think every shop with souvenirs or merchandise has a shelf just with tenugui, and even in hyaku-en shoppu you can find a good selection of them.

Tenugui with Snoopy.

On the one hand, when such towel is really cute, one almost doesn’t want to use it, so as to not stain it or to keep the colours bright. But that is very Western thinking – and not very practical, after all an unused towel isn’t fulfilling its basic function – the Japanese use them daily regardless of design. And in different ways too: from simply drying their hands, through compresses all the way to using them as rags or… tissues.

Tenugui with Hello Kitty.

Moreover, only upon coming to Japan one fully realises how useful they are. Although Japanese public toilets are great – clean, well maintained, often with a heated seat if the toilet is Western style – they have one, but very serious flaw: in most of them there is no means of drying one’s hands, no hand dryer, no paper towels, nothing. At such moments tenugui in one’s handbag is priceless, probably even more so in winter: the taps in such toilets only have cold water, so with tenugui you can both dry your hands and warm them up a little. Also in summer, when it’s hot and humid, along with cold drinks tenugui are a godsend, either as a means of wiping one’s forehead or as a cold compress.

Tenugui with Rilakkuma.

In the end, when one is in Japan for longer, you inevitably acquire more of them than you really need. Over these three months I myself acquired three, of which only one I bought myself – and after seeing all sorts of tenugui with Totoro it’s possible that I’ll end up getting a few more. And probably the few that I won’t find any use for myself will end up as souvenirs…

Tenugui in a shop by the supermarket.