Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reports: “I went to the 'FUROSHIKI' Exhibition held in Tokyo. I think "furoshiki" embody the traditional wisdom of the Japanese people.
It is a piece of cloth that can be wrapped in so many ways, allowing us to easily carry a great variety of items including of course square boxes, but also even large watermelons and 1.8 liter liquor bottles. The appeal is that it may be folded up into a small size when not being used.
I hear that used grocery bags from supermarkets and other stores thrown out as waste amount to 600,000 tons every year. If people used furoshiki instead, waste will decrease. It may also serve as an opportunity for people to think about creating a recycling-oriented society where great care is taken to look after things.
Minister of the Environment Yuriko Koike created the "Mottainai Furoshiki" with that in mind ("mottainai" could be literally translated as "don't waste what is valuable").
The "Mottainai Furoshiki," so ravishing that it may even be used as a scarf, is made of recycled PET bottles and has a birds-and-flowers pattern from the Edo period.
Aside from the "Mottainai Furoshiki," striking furoshiki by approximately 30 designers and artists who were moved by this idea were on display at the exhibit. There were many intriguing furoshiki such as one with a design of kumadori (shading) makeup used in kabuki plays, one with a design of music scores, and even one with pictures of the many ways of wrapping a furoshiki.
marketing@alchempro.com
