Monday, September 18, 2006
topic 2 "Furoshiki"
“Furoshiki” is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth used to wrap gifts, clothes, and other goods. Furoshiki means “bath spread”, deriving from the usage of bundling clothes at public baths in the Edo Period (1603-1867). Its usage have then extended to protect goods when transporting and decorating goods for presents. Furoshikis are made of silk, cotton, rayon, or nylon. Furoshiki requires numerous wrapping techniques; there are many ways and many things that are wrapped with furoshikis. The wrapping methods vary in size and shape.
Check the link that I pasted below, if you are interested in wrapping techniques!
http://www.shimojima.co.jp/English/wrapping/wrap03.htm
Furoshiki was very common since the Nara period (AD 710-794), known as "Hirazutsumi" back then, but the usage of it has declined since the postwar period due to the introduction of plastic bags. Many of the young Japanese people today have negative images about furoshiki as “bag for old people”. Most of theyoung people tend to favor convenient plasticbags .
Recently, Japanese minister of environment and various environmental organizations have been promoting active usage of furoshiki. With rising awareness and environmental trend, many brands in Japan are collaboratively producing furoshikis with trendy design and easy instruction where young people can easily wrap in their own unique style. Little by little, furoshiki is becoming labeled as "cool traditional eco-friendly product".
Furoshiki is an ecologically friendly 3R product (reuse, recycle, and reduce) with abilities to cut down enormous wastes and CO2 in Japan.
Globally, Japan is an industrial giant and big waste emitter. We are required to reduce the quantity of industrial wastes for which we are responsible of, to reuse and recycle waste, and to dispose of them in an environmentally-sound manner .
Furoshiki has the potential to replace:
- Plastic shopping/grocery bag
-Back pack
-Hand bag/purse
-Suitcase
-lunch box
and more....
Discussion:
Do you have an ecological product like Furoshiki in your country? Or do you know any ecologically friendly products like Furoshiki?
What do you think about the future of plastic bags? Do you think it is necessary?
If not, how can we prevent society as a whole to stop using plastic bags?
What are other methods to make young Japanese people to become more attracted to "Furoshiki"? Are you interested in owning one?
other information about furoshiki
neo- furoshiki
http://assiston.co.jp/?item=231
Furoshiki with new design
http://www.recruit.co.jp/GG/exhibition/2006/g8_0604.html
Read or Post a Comment
good afternoon! Greetings to commentators!
Shiro, under your request I shall write some theses about ecological thinking in a global information society.
Ecological thinking in the accelerated society.
Modern people make everyone quickly. Quickly wake up. Have quickly breakfast.
On fast transport go for work by which too it is necessary to make quickly. Thus all activity of the person submits one idea: «it is necessary to have time to make all».
But, speed of thinking of the person is set by the nature or the God. But, speed of thinking of the person is set by the nature or the God. Quickly and effectively working, the person did not begin to think faster. He has learned to be switched mentally very quickly. The brain of the person not so is dynamical as an environment. Therefore «generals also prepare for past wars».
I shall result a simple example. Modern young people with pleasure look video clips. Speed of transfer of the sound and dynamical visual information as images is high enough. But, whether the information is perceived by the person? Certainly, no! Passing through system of perception, in memory remains only most emotionally painted episodes. These moments also create a complete image. That image which each spectator for itself wants to see. But, frequently, not what authors of a clip want to see. Therefore clips are popular in young people. Their own emotions determine a video series. So each young man sees and hears only own emotions and ideas. If an information line is constructed according to properties of emotional perception of the majority of people to these authors the success of their "production" is provided. Such clips become winners in the sector of the video-industry.
I shall result a simple example. Modern young people with pleasure look video clips. Speed of transfer of the sound and dynamical visual information as images is high enough. But, whether the information is perceived by the person? Certainly, no! Passing through system of perception, in memory remains only most emotionally painted episodes. These moments also create a complete image. That image which each spectator for itself wants to see. But, frequently, not what authors of a clip want to see. Therefore clips are popular in young people. Their own emotions determine a video series. So each young man sees and hears only own emotions and ideas. If an information line is constructed according to properties of emotional perception of the majority of people to these authors the success of their "production" is provided. Such clips become winners in the sector of the video-industry.
In ecological activity, and it is especial in promotion of the pure goods and services it is possible to generate correct ecological thinking at the person. This thinking can be built on mental images the same as it is done in video-clips. But there is one feature. This feature consists in moral categories of thinking and perception (recognition) of the world.
If the world is perceived completely (the reason here is determined by emotions), and the person feels itself as a harmonious part of the nature it is possible to go further - to form personal and public ecological needs. If the person perceives the world as the separate parts of a universe connected only by his personal needs, he with the big share of probability is capable to step of a fragile insect or with curiosity to break a flower on a wood glade closer to consider its magic petals.
In what a question? And the question in the substantial form of thinking - to hurry up it is necessary slowly. People already have in part found the answer as it to make. They in all try to be exact on time. But, this thinking technical, engineering, detailed, and ecological thinking is formed on spiritual categories. It is Kind, Tenderness, Care, Attention, Caress, Beauty and other similar concepts. In what a sheaf of technical and ecological thinking? It consists in the clear formula: each person should To have time create Kindness. And to make it, Carefully, Closely, Precisely, and Socially is directed. We shall recollect a wood near to Tokyo. It grew slowly - 250 years! But those people which looked after it, were Careful, and the main thing - they have managed "to stop" time.
Have felt essence of ecological thinking? Perfectly! Next time we shall talk how to achieve efficiency of ecological ideas.
-Dr. V. Moiseev.
thank you very much for the comment Dr. Moiseev, your ethics are incredible! Ecological problem in modern information society is a big problem. They say we need to shift our paradigms to another dimension where social structure changes in all forms. But shift can result in bad ways, and if we do make bad shift, there is little hope to be left in the planet.
Hello Dr. Moiseev. Your comment did make me sit back and think of "time", "values", and the surrounding "environment". I remember going to a garden with my grandma when I was a bit younger. She was taking quite a long time to see the flowers and trees enjoying "spending time" with them. I felt that the garden was almost a personal place for her even though it was her first time to visit this garden. In my eyes, she was appreciating the inherent values of the fauna and enjoying them by attaching personal values and emotions. Most young people growing up in a world full of real-time information are very good at isolating themselves in their own world, making all surrounding impersonal and detaching. Because they have access to so much information and things, they tend to overlook the REAL things. Sometimes people do have to get reminded to take things slow and enjoy whats really around them!
Hi Shiro -
Sorry, I wasn't able to respond until now. I have been in Barstow drilling a water production well. Fun stuff...
I can't think of anything in America that resembles the Furoshiki in terms of historic use and design. Reusable products for storage such as canvas bags are avaiable, but are rarely used.
Reusable products can replace one-time use products like grocery bags; however, it seems unlikely that consumers would change unless forced to or if an incentive is provided. In order for to society replace plastic bags with an eco-friendly alternative, the costs of plastic bags would have to rise to around the cost of a reusable alternative or vice versa. This can be achieved through a tax or credit.
YES, I'm interest in owning a Furoshiki. Somebody send me one.
Thanks Adrian,
I remember Barstow as a city located between San Diego and Las Vegas. Hope your drilling resulted in success!
Grocery bags:
yes, few convenient stores and grocery stores with interest in natural capitalism/environmental concern are pricing the plastic bags in Japan. But cost of the grocery bags are relatively low at this time(5yen=4 to 5cents). From the results of survey, about 40% of Japanese citizens are saying "no" to the increase cost of the plastic bags.
Ministry of environment in Japan are enoouraging the citizens to involve in a campaign called "I don't need plastic bag".
Japanese government is seeking for society to inhibit responsibility to decrease the usage of plastic bags, rather than increasing the tax or credits on plastic bags.
>>Furoshiki
Do you think it is necessary for all nations to act on usage of alterantive bags?
thanks Adrian
Shiro,
I think this is a great idea. Really. It's eco-friendly and culturally sensitive. In terms of it being somewhat rejected at present for being "old", it's common for products to fall in-and-out of style. There is no reason that this couldn't be one of those items that comes back into style.
I would venture to guess that if several high profile fashion shops adopted this as a way of expressing high-quality fashion (maybe with patterned wrappings) that it would quickly spread to the rest of society.
In terms of what else we may use to promote eco-friendly wrappings, there was a movement roughly 15 years ago to use reusable bags (i.e. cloth bags). A number of environmentalists adopted the idea, but the US at large did not. A second product that came out around the same time were reusable Christmas wrappings--again, with limited success. I am happy to say that I was able to get my mom to use both. She rarely uses the bags, but does use the Christmas wrappings every year.
Great history lesson!
John
Thanks John!
>>there was a movement roughly 15 years ago to use reusable bags (i.e. cloth bags). A number of environmentalists adopted the idea, but the US at large did not. A second product that came out around the same time were reusable Christmas wrappings--again, with limited success
very interesting! Wow! Reusuable Christmas Wrapping! I remember when I arrived in US at age of 10, I was shocked to see my American friends receiving tremendous amount of presents at Christmas. I used to cry over my parents that I was not getting enough! Well, I am very interested in seeing and attaining information about reusable Christmas wrap.(I have no clue what it looks like) John, if you have any information regarding reusable Christmas wraps, I will be very much appreciated!
Thanks John!!!
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What about the possibility of pulling out of Iraq, letting Iran invade and lose resources fighting their own kind,
and then come in and mop up the dregs?