The spirit of washi in daily life Soft colors and special textures Etiquette and manners Congratulatory and bereavement envelopes , Yuino engagement presents , Noshi gift paper , Kozutsumi Folded paper , Children's gift envelopes , Chopstick wrappers Congratulatory and bereavement envelopes Congratulatory Bereavement envelopes Congratulatory envelopes are used to hold money given on celebratory occasions such as marriages, births, moving into a new house, and the like. These envelopes are wrapped with mizuhiki of red and white, or of gold and silver, and at times will be decorated with the fine craftsmanship of a mizuhiki resplendent with the images of cranes or turtles. The bereavement envelope is used for occasions of mourning such as a funeral or a memorial service; the mizuhiki used for this are white and black or yellow. Because they cannot be refolded, these envelopes in and of themselves serve the function of a wax seal.

Congratulatory and bereavement envelopes , Yuino engagement presents , Noshi gift paper , Kozutsumi Folded paper , Children's gift envelopes , Chopstick wrappers Yuino engagement presents (mizuhiki craftsmanship) Mizuhiki Yuino engagement presents Mizuhiki is made using koyori-washi that has been finely cut and twisted into a string shape, immersed in thin paste or mortar, dried, and then dyed. Like the envelopes, once a mizuhiki has been untied it cannot be used again; for this reason, it served a purpose similar to that of a wax seal. Yuino, crafts offering congratulations, are exchanged by newly engaged couples as a sign of their engagement. These include takarabune, or treasure ships, and shochikubai, made of pine, bamboo and plum.

Congratulatory and bereavement envelopes , Yuino engagement presents , Noshi gift paper , Kozutsumi Folded paper , Children's gift envelopes, Chopstick wrappers Noshi gift paper Noshi gift paper This paper is used on goods exchanged during the mid-year and New Year gift-giving seasons. Noshi is a long, thin dried strip of abalone that in ancient times was attached to a present to offer congratulations. Today, it is often wrapped and folded into a hexagonal shape; most commonly, it is pressed into mizuhiki, two-color strings used to tie gifts. The white demonstrates holiness and purity and is a symbol of the care that the giver has taken in not passing on to the recipient any of the former's impurities and defilement. All images Copyright. 1997 Kansai International Public Relations Promotion Office. All Rights Reserved.