Oshibori (Hot Towel) Day (Oshibori no Hi)

October 29th Is "Oshibori Day"! Its Origins and Surprising History

October 29th is "Oshibori Day," a day to promote the oshibori — the wet hand towel offered to guests, a custom regarded as distinctly Japanese. It was established in 2004 by the National Federation of Oshibori Cooperatives (全国おしぼり協同組合連合会), made up of rental-oshibori cooperatives across Japan, and was registered with the Japan Anniversary Association in 2023.

The date is a wordplay: October's "10" is read as "ten," sounding like te (hand) and echoing our ten fingers, and "29" is read as fu-ku (wipe) — together, "wiping one's hands." The oshibori handed to us almost without thought at restaurants carries a spirit of hospitality.

A History Reaching Back to the Classics?

The history of the oshibori is thought to go back as far as the eras of the Kojiki and The Tale of Genji. Its forerunner is said to be the damp cloth that court nobles offered to guests visiting their homes.

It spread among ordinary people in the Edo period, when cotton hand towels (tenugui) became common. At the entrances of inns (hatago), a tub of water and a tenugui were set out for travelers, who soaked the towel, wrung it out, and wiped their hands and feet. This act of wringing (shiboru) is said to be the origin of the word "oshibori."

The Postwar Rise of Rental Oshibori

As restaurants multiplied during Japan's postwar recovery, the custom of offering oshibori spread. At first, shops washed and rolled their own towels, but as customer numbers grew, the work could no longer be done by hand, and a rental-and-laundering business was born.

• Hygiene standards: In 1982, the then Ministry of Health and Welfare issued guidelines on rental oshibori, requiring, for example, that towels be collected for cleaning within four days.
• Hygiene mark: Some rental oshibori come in film wrapping bearing a "hygiene mark" showing they are clean.
• Cloth and paper: There are reusable cotton-towel oshibori and disposable paper (nonwoven) ones.

Oshibori Take to the Skies

In 1959, Japan Airlines began offering oshibori to passengers on international flights before takeoff. The service was so well received that airlines around the world began serving hot towels too, and today it is a familiar part of air travel — a small piece of Japanese hospitality that spread worldwide.

How to Mark Oshibori Day

• When you're handed an oshibori at a restaurant, look for the hygiene mark on the wrapping.
• If you use hand towels at home, use clean ones and wash them often.
• When guests visit, offer an oshibori with a cold drink.
• If you warm a towel in the microwave, check the temperature carefully to avoid burns.

Summary

• Origin: A wordplay on "10 (te = hand)" and "29 (fuku = wipe)"
• History: Traced to court nobles' damp cloths and the tubs and towels of Edo-period inns
• Spread: Rental oshibori emerged after the war, and in-flight service began in 1959

Even a simple oshibori carries a long history of hospitality. This October 29th, take a moment to appreciate that small comfort.