What is the Japanese art of packaging items with a cloth? I am sure that my question seems ridiculous. Anyway, I saw a TV feature an art in which Japanese people wrap miscellaneous items like bottles of wine (as gift wrapping) and bento boxes (such as transportation).
I think the term you are looking for is "Furoshiki" which is the name of the canvas itself. It is generally square or folded to be a square and the two opposite corners are set up on the element to be wrapped and tied together. Then the other two opposite corners are high and tied together on the other node. This is very convenient to carry hot pans (without handles), such as pots of rice, because you hold the nodes and not the hot pot itself.
Posted on February 4, 2010.