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COVER STORY
Hana Fukin
Fukin, kitchen cloths, are
traditionally pure cotton pieces
of fabric that were once used
as mosquito netting. Since
the need for mosquito netting
has declined in Japan, the
makers of these nets, many
located in Nara, have turned to
making cloths for kitchen and
household cleaning. In recent
years, the traditional fukin
has metamorphosed into the
Hana Fukin. The Hana Fukin
is several layers of gauze-like
cotton that softens with each
use. These cloths are kept in a
person’s bag and are meant to
be used in order to wipe sweat
off the forehead or dry hands
after washing. Hana Fukin
are sold in a variety of stores
and are offered in a variety of
colours and patterns.
My secret: The shop
Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten
(www.yu-nakagawa.co.jp), an
eight minute walk from the
Kintetsu Nara station in Nara,
Japan, focuses on creating
high quality products that
combine a modern sense of
style with traditional Japanese
crafts. Nakagawa Masashichi
Shoten sells hanafukin in
multiple natural colours and
traditional Japanese designs.
One Hana Fukin can be
bought for 756 yen (Rs 460).
meet Ted Grinewich-Yonashiro
Ted Grinewich-Yonashiro is a 33 year old travel writer as well as a teacher of English and History.
Ted currently lives in San Francisco, California with his husband Nobu and their orange bob-tail cat
named Cha-cha. Two years ago, before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, Ted lived in Osaka,
Japan for over seven years. In addition to writing, Ted enjoys yoga, cooking, and gardening.
travelsecretsmag.com monsoon issue 2016 Travel Secrets  29