In the last post I talked about how clean the Japanese bath makes you feel. Here is something else that makes you feel oh-so-clean, if only your hands. Oshibori are damp little washcloths with which customers can wipe their hands before eating in nicer restaurants. Sometimes they are even warmed up. Even in fast food places you usually receive a packaged oshibori, sort of like a moist towelette, but without additives or fragrance; just a small paper towel moistened with water. This is a little nicety that I thoroughly enjoy!
“Shiboru” means to “wring out” and “o” is an honorific prefix, so you can see how “oshibori” got their name.
