Furoshiki are square cloths resembling scarves and are used to wrap and carry things. They are made of silk or cotton. In the Edo Period(1603-1867), they came to be called "furoshiki"('bath' wrapping cloths) because they were used to wrap one's underclothes when going to the public bath or to wrap one's clothes while there. When wrapping, the object is placed in the middle and the opposite corners are tied together.
Tansu are furniture made of wood and are for keeping clothing or small objects. The traditional Japanese tansu has easy-to-use drawers and sliding doors and the corners are strengthened with metal to guard against damage. Nowadays "Western-style tansu," in which clothes are kept on hangars and doors pull open, are widely used. For Japanese-style garments, paulownia-wood chests that protect clothing from humidity are highly valued.
Noren are short cloth curtains hung on the entrances to Japanese shops. Beginning with the scraps of cloth on hanging screens used in Zen temples to ward off cold, merchant houses since the Edo Period(1603-1867) have put their names on noren and used them in business. The word "noren," is also used to signify good will and credit of a shop, as its symbol. In opening a shop, one is said "to hang out the noren" and when establishing branch stores, the saying is "to divide the noren."
In taking a Japanese furo, one enters the bathtub only after first washing off outside the tub. Generally, the whole family uses the same tub of hot water, so they keep it clean. Until 40 or 50 years ago furo made of wood were common, but now they are almost all made of tile, plastic or stainless steel. In the cold winter the furo warms the body and in the highly humid summer it washes away the constant stream of perspiration. The furo is indispensable to Japanese life. It is the optimum cure for a day's fatigue. Because today the majority of Japanese homes have furo and all manner of bathing remedies are being sold, the number of people is increasing who enjoy their baths by adding their favorite bathing remedy to the water.
The mountainous regions in Japan comprise more than 60% of the land and are covered with forests. As a result, a culture using wood developed. Sumi also is a part of this. Prior to the period of high growth of economy after 1960, sumi, together with firewood and coal, was Japan's main fuel for heating, and culture using sumi had continued for more than 1,000 years. In the Nara Period(710-784), sumi became the energy source for casting iron. Sumi was necessary to boil water for the tea ceremony, and also necessary for braziers and heaters with thick quilts. Now, gas and electricity have replaced sumi. However, grilled chicken tastes better if grilled with sumi instead of gas, and for the tea ceremony even now sumi is necessary--which means that the sumi culture, though barely, still continues.
The process of making paper was brought to Japan from China through Korea at the beginning of the seventh century and had a characteristic Japanese development. Washi can be made by hand or by machine. The former is common Japanese writing paper or mino paper which are made of the bark of trees, like paper mulberry, and the latter is shoji paper, for example, which is made from used paper and wood pulp. In contemporary life, there are not so many opportunities to use washi, but it has merits, such as durability, subdued and comfortable quality in its color and textile, not found in Western paper. Making the most of such characteristics, items made of washi, like letter-writing pads, envelopes and even lampshades are being sold.
Kamon is a crest fixed for each family. It is said that there are about 12,000 kinds of kamon in Japan, most of which depicting auspicious plants that possess talismanic power against evil. For example, the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial Family was created because the chrysanthemum is a medicinal plant and a talisman against evil. In addition, there are many crests that are designed after letter of characters and animals. Kamon originated in the early years of the Heian Period(794-1185) as emblems on the cow carriages of the nobility to distinguish among the owners. After that, they spread to warriors and were used to mark many kinds of objects, beginning with flag emblems in time of war. Later, they spread to the masses also; today virtually every family throughout Japan has a kamon.