[Todaya Shoten] Chusen Tenugui Towel - 378 Birds, Animals and Caricatures at a Tea Ceremony 378

Todaya Shoten is a veteran hand towel store located in Nihonbashi and established in 1872. Its designs and colors are all original. While inheriting tradition, it values the spirit of "onkochishin," meaning to cherish existing knowledge and learn new knowledge, with its bold and novel designs and colors. Their special hand towels start from stencils, and the dyeing as well as the folding work that is the last step in the process are done almost entirely by human hands. They introduce hand towels with a deep flavor and a warmth from hand-dyeing that cannot be felt from machine production.

[Fabric] ... Bringing peace of mind with natural materials. The fabric of Rienzome is cotton that is gentle on the skin, unlike synthetic fiber. Cotton is sturdy, light, and highly absorbent, so it absorbs sweat and moisture well and dries swiftly. The more it is used, the better it feels, and the more it becomes accustomed to skin. The more it is washed, the more the dyed color becomes subdued, so the change in color is also something to enjoy. Also, Todaya Shoten's hand towel fabric is made with fabric weaved especially for Todaya Shoten by brand names called Niioka and Wakamatsu.

[Stencil] ... At Todaya Shoten, two chusen stencils are carved using either by craftsmen's hands or machines depending on which of two types of designs it is.

[Chusen] ... Todaya Shoten's hand towels are dyed at a chusen factory. Most of that manufacturing process is manually done by the hands of experienced craftsmen. Both sides of chusen hand towels are the front. In the aesthetic sense of Japanese people, who focus on parts that cannot be seen and the reverse side, it is desired that the side that is used is always the front. Thus, in Rienzome, at the stage of dyeing, chusen has been selected as the main technique, in which the dye is allowed to soak into the core of the fibers, from the top to the bottom of the cloth.

[378 Birds, Animals and Caricatures at a Tea Ceremony]
The most famous Japanese national treasure, the "Birds, Animals, and Figures Caricatures" is located at Kosan-ji Temple in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, and can be considered the originator of Japan's world-class "manga culture. Using this masterpiece as a motif, we have created a "modern version of the caricatures of birds, animals, and humans" in collaboration with "Waraku" a magazine that promotes Japanese culture. If you look closely, you will see familiar animals such as rabbits, monkeys, and frogs enjoying the tea ceremony. This product is certified by Toganoo-san Kosan-ji Temple.