Oshibori Oshibori An or hot towel in English is a wet hand towel offered to customers in places such as restaurants or bars, and used to clean one's hands before eating. Oshibori has long been part of Hospitality Culture in Japan: in "The Tale of Genji" era it was used for visitors; during the Edo period it was used in Hatago (); later it started to be used in many restaurants. It eventually spread to worldwide use. Cold oshibori are used in summer, and hot oshibori in winter. In Japan, October 29 has been observed as the day of Oshibori since
Oshibori words , hot, and , cold, are sometimes used to refer to hot and cold oshibori respectively. A typical oshibori, made of cloth, is dampened with water and wrung. It is then placed on the dining table for customers to wipe their hands before or during the meal. The o-shibori is often rolled or folded and given to the customer on some kind of tray. Even if a tray is not used, it is usually rolled up into a long, thin shape, although this is not necessarily the case with o-shibori provided with, say, bentō lunch boxes. Many establishments also