Umami Mart Gift Guide

Todaya Shoten has been making tenugui and kimono since 1872, drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese designs dating back to their original founding. Instead of screen printing, Todaya uses a painstaking method where each design is drawn on paper and cut by hand. From there, the paper is used as a stamp to print on to individual pieces of fabric. The delicate, individual cuts give each design its own unique and specialized character! 

We fell in love with this brown tenugui with vintage glassware at first sight. This tenugui is for drink lovers –whether wine, beer, or spirits may be your fancy. If you look closely, the kanji on one of the bottles says 麦酒, a very old-timey way to say "beer" in Japanese.

A note from the makers:
“There are so many proverbs written about alcohol. For example, 'Alcohol is the hook for catching poetry' 'Alcohol doesn't get someone drunk, one gets oneself on alcohol' and others. As long as there's beautiful stuff in the world, there will be plenty of morals written about it. However, no matter which way you slice it, a fun drink is the best. How about a quick one to blow off steam tonight after a long day's work?”

These tenugui are made of a thin, lightweight cotton designed for quick drying and easy storage. Hang it on your wall for decoration or use in your kitchen to dry off dishes or hands.

Please note: colors may run during the first couple of washes, so be sure to wash separately with cold water to avoid color bleeding. 

Features:

  • Dimensions: 35.5"L x 14.5"W
  • Material: 100% cotton
  • Hand-Dyed and made in Japan