Japan History and Culture

Japanese Wet Hand Towel or Oshibori(おしぼり,お絞り)

An Oshibori are wet hot or cold hand  towels offered to customers in places  such as restaurants, tearoom, airlines or  bars in Japan. They are used to wipe your  hands or face before eating, this is a great  way to refresh yourself, especially if  you’ve been walking through the city,  and  have long been considered a  traditional custom in Japan.

Customers are always pleased when offered cold oshibori in summers and warm oshibori in winters. Oshibori Service has already been very popular all over Japan. This custom, unique to Japan, is also becoming popular among customers overseas. A great custom is welcomed anywhere.

The standard-size of the cloth is 12 inches by   8 inches (30cm by 20cm). They are now sometimes replaced with a paper towel.

The towels are given to you when you sit down in restaurants. When the oshibori is presented, unfold the towel, you have use finished with the towel, and then fold it or roll it up and replace the used towel in the basket that accompanied the towel.