Learning the Art of Furoshiki in Tokyo

An exploration of the Japanese art of wrapping objects with Link Collective

A wine bag, a book holder, a laptop carrier: one cloth, many creative possibilities. Furoshiki is simple and ingenious. You grab one side of the cloth and fold it with the other side. Knots, ties, twists. Wrap, carry, transform an object, this is Furoshiki. 

In Tokyo, Link Collective offers simple workshops to learn the techniques. The studio also makes beautiful Furoshiki textiles in collaboration with international artists who design the prints. To keep the tradition alive, a family-run business has been weaving the textiles for the past 60 years.

Kyoko, the owner of the 15-person studio, teaches the class and maneuvers the Furoshiki expertly. As I observe, I hesitate to try at first, followed by "aha" moments as I follow the steps.

It is simple, but it takes skill and careful attention. What looks like a complex and intricately wrapped cloth ends up being a technique of folding and twisting the fabric with precision. Some of the techniques Kyoko demonstrated included using a leather handle to fold the cloth around and create your own bag with double knots on each side, wrapping gifts and bottles, carrying a laptop.

Wine and sake bottles wrapped in screen-printed furoshiki cloths using traditional Japanese knotting techniques.

Furoshiki has been used by the Japanese since the 1600s. Easy to clean and to store, it was first used to elegantly wrap imperial treasures, then noble people's clothes, until it was adopted to wrap belongings and put them on the floor at the bathhouse (furo means “baths”). Later on, merchants transported their merchandise while traveling until it spread to everyday life.

Furoshiki is simplicity, something we are seeking in our, sometimes, over-engineered lives. It has caught the attention of luxury houses such as Loro Piana. It has an unpretentious aura that is hard to replicate in high fashion, where expensive materials and labels drive the value. At Link Collective, learning Furoshiki is all about discovery and the realization that beauty and distinction does not have to take much: a luxury.