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
Japanese cuisine outside Japan. Over the past years, many restaurant chains such as Koni Store have opened, selling typical dishes such as the popular temaki. Yakisoba, which is readily available in all supermarkets, and often included in non-Japanese restaurant menus. In February 2012, the Agency for Cultural Affairs recommended that 'Washoku: Traditional Dietary Cultures of the Japanese' be added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On December 4, 2013, "Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year" was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage, bringing the number of Japanese assets