From court ceremony to bath towel: The history of the Tenugui

From court ceremony to bath towel: The history of the Tenugui

A gentle breeze blows through pine trees, bells ring softly, and in a Shinto shrine in early Heian Japan, a priest dabs his face with a narrow strip of silk. This precious cloth is considered one of the first traces of tenugui, long before cotton became native to Japan.

With the growth of cotton cultivation from the 15th century onward, the fabric became affordable. By 1603, in the vibrant and colorful city of Edo, almost every city dweller was wearing the colorful cloth: bathhouse visitors wrapped it around their heads or waist, merchants dried their hands and goods, and children played catch with it.

Kabuki performers have portraits and family crests printed on the cloth and distribute it to fans—an early form of pop merchandise. Craftsmen use it as a belt, dust cover, or wallet, while patterns quickly reveal a person's profession and neighborhood.

Modernization in the nineteenth century brought terry cloth towels and paper handkerchiefs to the country. But despite new competition, the tenugui remained a part of many families' everyday lives: as a souvenir in the train station shop, as a helper at a village festival, as a memento in the grandparents' linen closet.

Today, the cloth is experiencing a renaissance: Slow fashion fans love its versatility, designers print limited editions, and collectors hunt for rare Edo originals. A strip of cotton that has transcended centuries and yet is perfectly suited to the present.