Oshibori【お絞り】: A taste of good old Japanese tradition

“Iiiiiirasshaimaseeee!”
The welcoming word you hear bellowed when
you enter a restaurant in Japan. If you are in
Osaka or Kyoto it would be “おいでやす” Just
another way to say, “Welcome to our shop!”
And after the initial welcome just when you
enter, first thing that comes to the table is the
water and then a small, moist, rolled-up hand
towel, hot in the winter, cold in the summer.
It is called Oshibori (お絞り). This is a most
welcome treat you would receive if you visited
a Japanese restaurant or on the plane aboard.
The customers, before drinking and eating, pick up this wrung-out towel out of its little basket
or tray, unfold it, cleanse their hands, fold it up, and put it back in the basket or tray.

Origin:
Oshibori have long been a common sight in Japan. It is actually a type of お手拭き (Otefuki)
Japanese hand towel. The word お絞り (Oshibori) comes from the Japanese word 絞る
(shiboru), meaning "to wring" or “to squeeze”, with the polite prefix お. So it literally means “a
wrung out towel”. The standard-size of Oshibori is app. 12 inches by 8 inches (30cm × 20cm).

In the past, innkeepers would offer

travelers a wet cloth as a show of
hospitality and as a way to get the dust
off them before they came indoors. It
would have been refreshing and
soothing, when anyone after a hard day
finally sitting down to dinner. In the
winter the heated damp Oshibori
Oshibori of various sizes

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(Atsushibo) just after one was seated,
would offer relief from the cold
temperature. A steamy Oshibori warms up
frozen fingers. In the summer, a cold
Oshibori (Tsumeshibo) cleansed the palms
covered with grime and sweat so that
diners could enjoy their dinner.
Oshibori Rest
Cloth Oshibori vs. Disposable
Oshibori:
Typical Oshibori are made of woven cloth. They
are immersed in water and wrung out well.
They are then simply warmed up. The Oshibori
is then rolled or folded and given to the
customer on some kind of tray. The used
Oshibori are washed and used again and again
till they worn out.

However, nowadays towel material is leaning

towards Nonwoven fibres and papers. Many
places
offer a disposable form of Oshibori, including many
modern restaurants, fast food chains like Mack Donald,
Kentucky Fried Chicken etc. If you buy a bento,
disposable paper Oshibori (紙おしぼり) are provided.
These are all individually wrapped and pre-moistened
and sometimes contain a sterilizing agent. Nonwoven
towelettes are steadily replacing the cloth Oshibori. Disposable Oshibori

Oshibori is not a napkin:

The Oshibori is meant to be used for cleaning
ones’ hands only. You cannot use Oshibori to
dab the corners of your mouth during the meal.
Use this to wipe your hands in the beginning
only then set it aside. Never mistake it for a
Japanese napkin; napkins are not a staple in
Japanese restaurants. It’s even considered
rude to use the towel to wipe the face or neck.
When you finish cleaning your hands with the
Oshibori, put it back on the plate or in the
basket and the waiter would take the Oshibori away before serving the food. There’s no

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napkin for you to use during the meal. However, nowadays it’s not very uncommon to see
people, especially men cleaning off their face and neck with the Oshibori before dining.

Oshibori services (貸おしぼりシステム):

All those restaurants and other
establishments using reusable towel Oshibori
in large quantities, generally do not prepare
the Oshibori on their own. Instead they
employ rental services. The Oshibori are
washed and supplied by those specialist
suppliers. These suppliers distribute pre-
damped, pre-rolled Oshibori packed in
individual vinyl wrappers at a rate of 10 to 20
yen per towel. Suppliers apparently use each Oshibori over and over, typically about 25 times.
When they can no longer be used as Oshibori, the suppliers sell them to third parties where
they are recycled as dusters. The Japanese have a real concern for もったいない.

Uniquely Japanese:
Japan is known as a country of creativity and advanced technology. However, it is also a
country with deeply rooted unique traditions and etiquettes. Everything in Japan is first class
and thoughtful, right down to the wiping of your hands. Is there anything like this in any other
country?

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