One of the most exciting parts about our new bento box collaboration with Poketo is that it includes coordinating chopstick sets and a traditional, colorful furoshiki wrapping cloth to keep it all together.

What is Furoshiki or Bojagi, you ask? Furoshiki (風呂敷) in Japanese or Bojagi (보자기) in Korean are a type of traditional wrapping cloth traditionally used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods and even in weddings, and in Buddhist, rites dating all the way back to the Nara period ( AD 760).

If you’re not familiar with the art of traditional wrapping, don’t fret. We enlisted Ellen Lee of Nossi, a Bojagi workshop brand based in Los Angeles, and Asami Takino from Tokyo to bring us up to speed.

Ellen's workshops teach the Korean tradition of wrapping, carrying, and storing objects using Bojagi, a traditional wrapping cloth. In other words, she’s the perfect expert to create a reusable work of art with our new Poketo wrapping cloth. Take a look at the video below for one example of how to wrap the Poketo bento box with the Poketo Furoshiki cloth.

Another Furoshiki artist is Asami Takino from Tokyo. We asked her some questions on why and how she got into FuroshHow did you get into making Furoshiki craft?The reason I started using Furoshiki was to bind it with a Furoshiki to prevent the contents from falling when the bag broke.

How long have you been doing it?
About 3 years. I've been using it since I was in kindergarten, such as wrapping lunch boxes and organizing bags. It was about three years ago that I started to enjoy the use of Furoshiki.

What are some things that we can do with furoshiki?
I wear it when it's cold. It can be a hat or a shawl. You can wrap your gift in a Furoshiki and wrap it. If you go shopping, wrap it in Furoshiki, and return, you will not waste your shopping bag. Furoshiki can be transformed into anything. It's just a piece of cloth, but its use is endless. If it's dirty, you can wash it. Fold small when not in use.

My dream is for people all over the world to choose "today's Furoshiki" when they choose clothes, hats, and shoes, and have a happy life.