it is finally. finally. finally. starting to get a bit cooler over here. in japan. finally. okay. it's not cool. but cooler than the worst part of summer. which i refer to as hell. our low temperatures at night are still higher than the high temperatures. back in my hometown. in canda. crazy. crazy.
these cloths. hankachi. are essential. in the summer over here. most gals carry them. in the winter to dry their hands after using the public restroom. in the summer. to blot the sweat on their faces. or other places. yep. essential. and i have a little collection. some are cheap. some were gifts. my favorite is the liberty fabric one. the only one i haven't used yet. maybe next year.
and my sensu. another essential. i lost mine. but i got a new one. after looking high and low. for a stylish fan. my friends laughed. said those two words don't go together. stylish and fan. but i found one. with dots. it looks cute. but truthfully. it doesn't work so well. i may have to upgrade next year. i wonder if i could make one. i wonder.
Love that fan, I think it is very stylish!
Posted by: erika | August 21, 2008 at 05:59 AM
i HATE heat...am headed to hong kong in a few weeks and am NOT looking forward to the heat. you brave, brave girl!
Posted by: kirsten | August 21, 2008 at 06:42 AM
Oh, please, please make a fan! And if you do, would you post a tutorial? I am a great believer in carrying a hand fan, and you're right--it's hard to find one that's both functional and nice to look at.
Posted by: Nancy | August 21, 2008 at 07:17 AM
I remember going into Mitsukoshi in Ebisu, or Takashimaya in Times Square Tokyo...and seeing shelves and shelves of all these wonderful clothes. I always bought a few terry cloth ones to use as wash cloths in the shower.
Posted by: Barbara | August 21, 2008 at 08:01 AM
Yeah, we had a heat wave here in Portland last weekend and it was fierce! I love the idea of carrying a cloth with you, especially for drying hands after using rest rooms. How are they carried? In little plastic bags in purses to keep other things from becoming damp? A nice way to keep from wasting paper towels, especially if you could get a lot of people to start doing it.
Posted by: Emily | August 21, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Cool, like bigger handkerchiefs. Interesting idea. I love hearing little cultural things about japan that are so different from what it's like here.
Posted by: Tracy | August 21, 2008 at 01:32 PM
how big are these cloths? such a brilliant idea!
and you totally could make a fan.
do it.
Posted by: erin | August 21, 2008 at 05:09 PM
Those little cloths are so elegant. Like a more-substantial hanky?
How hot does it get? I assume it's also humid. The humidity kills me. It's not as hot on the East Coast as it is in Chicago, but it was pretty hot here for a while. I was NOT into it. I take winter any day!
Posted by: Creature of Habit | August 21, 2008 at 07:16 PM
You are "tres chic". I was never taught French but I think this is how it is spelled. You could so pull off making your own fan.
Posted by: Ursa | August 21, 2008 at 07:18 PM
I am falling in love with japanese culture....our primary school have had a few japanese visitors over the years and we have loved having them over here in england.....the children especially love all the pretty things they bring over with them....love your blog
Rachel x
Posted by: Hilda May | August 22, 2008 at 01:59 AM
I love your fan, it is stylish. Glad things are cooling down!
Posted by: Kirsten | August 22, 2008 at 07:04 PM
that fan really is stylish (and necessary by the sounds of it) good choice.
Posted by: kate | August 24, 2008 at 09:41 AM
My husband and I went to Japan in June for our honeymoon. By the end of the first week we had bought real umbrellas (not the little 'fold up and fit in a bag' type) and a sensu. By the end of the second week we had discovered the hankachi and acquired some of them as well (though I just learned what they were called from you). I can't imagine being there through the summer. The 32 degrees with that humidity we had on the last few days of our trip were enough!
Posted by: jenn | August 29, 2008 at 01:45 PM