Furoshiki: the art of Japanese cloth wrapping

By Ms Lisa Bourne, Japanese language teacher

Our Year 8 Japanese students had the opportunity to take part in an online session with a Japanese tutor from The Japan Foundation in Sydney to learn about furoshiki – the Japanese tradition of wrapping items with cloth.

This wrapping style is not only used for Christmas and New Year’s gifts, but also in everyday life. It is not uncommon, for instance, to use furoshiki to wrap your lunch, or to wrap an item to make it easier to carry.

The colourful cloths – decorated with lucky symbols, patterns and motifs –are reusable and environmentally friendly, highlighting Japan’s commitment to sustainability.

Students participated in a hands-on workshop where they practised wrapping a variety of items in colourful cloths, including a laptop, notebook, water bottle and soccer balls.

The Year 8 students found the workshop to be both fun and engaging, and a wonderful way to learn more about Japanese culture. Some also commented on the fact that some items were more difficult to wrap than others.

'It was surprising to learn that furoshiki was once popular and has seen a resurgence since we started looking for more sustainable alternatives to plastic,' one student reflected.