"Furoshiki," the wrapping cloth used since ancient times, is increasingly being viewed as highly suitable for modern life, as more people become environmentally conscious and try to reduce the amount of waste related to use of paper and plastic bags.
Proving the old adage that anything old can be new again, clothing companies have modernized furoshiki patterns and are marketing their products even at railway station shops. Prices start at just a few hundred, yen attracting young and old alike.
A Yokohama woman in her 30s has long used furoshiki for wrapping clothing and undergarments in a bag when traveling, but she recently began using it for wrapping presents, in place of wrapping paper.