Feelings into Shapes
ORIGATA, A type of traditional etiquette for giving something in Japan. Depending on the situation or relationship, by changing the way something is wrapped, you can convey your thoughts or feelings. There is a person that continues to think of the meaning of wrapping and gift giving through origata.
Minami Aoyama in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. On a side street from the brand boutiques and the stylish buildings and down the hill, stands an unassuming three story building. Here, there are regular workshops on “origata.” Going inside, on the tatami (straw mats), there are about 10 men and women, sitting in the seiza style (on the knees), at tables. On the middle table, there is Japanese paper, gift wrapping strings, and boxes and tubes.
“Today, let’s do “Pretend Gift Giving.” The person presiding over the Origata Design Institute, Yamaguchi Nobuhiro, is also an origata lecturer, says in a calm voice to the participants. Two participants are chosen and they play the roles of someone giving and getting a present. The setting is very specific, in celebration of the calligraphy teacher receiving a prize, the student gives a present, the present is tea, and the feeling that should be conveyed is respect, but not in an overly formal matter, etc etc. Mr. Yamaguchi explains “When wrapping a present, you need to think about who the person is, what the situation is, what kind of thing you’re giving, and what feeling you would like to convey.”
“Origata” is traditional Japanese etiquette for giving gifts wrapped in Japanese paper. The design is simple, as the outside is mainly in white, and the various meanings of the wrapping comes in the form of the folds of the paper and way the “mizuhiki” gift wrapping strings are tied. The design is a contrast from the flashy type. The type of paper and the number and type of folds change based on the relationship of the giver and receiver, the situation, and the contents of the gift.
Expressing the “Meaning” through design
Mr. Yamaguchi, who is also a graphic designer, came upon origata by chance, when he saw it written in a book from the Edo period of Japan, and decided to learn more about it.
Until then, Mr. Yamaguchi was closely following European modern design, but at the same time he felt like he was ignoring the culture of his own country, which he vaguely thought was strange, and at that time, he came into contact with origata.
“When I started to research about it, there many things I didn’t know, and it was interesting, so I couldn’t help it. For example, there’s a type of origata called “noshiawabi tsutsumi.” This is designed to represent the fruit of the sea, awabi, or abalone, and is placed on the top of a present when you want to give a something celebratory. It was fresh to me to know the meaning of the design, because I’ve been studying modern, geometrical graphic design,” said Mr. Yamaguchi. He felt like it wasn’t a design borrowed from others, because in the designs, he found the meaning connected to Japanese life and culture.
“When I went overseas, I visited all of the historic sites. But, I didn’t know about the culture that was under my feet. I've done everything in order to broaden my knowledge overseas, but I didn’t know there was such a deep meaning next to us in our daily lives. If I were to explain it, it feels like that,” said Mr. Yamaguchi, reminiscing and his face relaxing.
Modesty and Consideration
The act of giving something is something shared in cultures and society all around the world, and the act of wrapping something then giving it also isn’t rare. Mr. Yamaguchi, through origata, has deepened his interest in “wrapping,” and thinks about what it means to wrap.
“For example, when you stay at a Japanese inn, you receive a very good feeling service. So, there, you want to convey your thanks to the person that took care of you during your stay. At that time, if you just give cash without any wrapping, it will seem like you’re judging the work done. But, if you wrap that money in paper and give it to the staff, you feel like you are able to convey your thankfulness for the hospitality given to you. The act of wrapping has that kind of power, I think.” Also, one of the ways of conveying that feeling is origata.
According to Mr. Yamaguchi, the special points of origata are its “Modesty” and “the consideration for the receiver.” “The word “modesty” (tsutsumashii) comes from the same place as wrapping (tsutsumu), so origata is very modest. It’s because you’re deliberately covering the insides with a white piece of Japanese paper. I think the feeling of wanting to make the recipient happy is the same as Western style wrapping, but Western style wrapping can sometimes be flashy and the self-expression of the gift giver can also become part of it. But, in origata, the personality of the gift-giver does not come out at all.” About consideration for the receiver, in origata, all wrapping is done to open on the right side. This is because most people open things from the right side, so it’s considerate to make it easy to open.
Folding and wrapping with feeling
While thinking about the recipient, fold gently with your own hand and with feeling. Also, for the person that receives the gift, while opening the wrapping, think about the feeling of the person who gave the gift. Now, the number of Japanese people who know how to make origata is few, but the culture of the importance of wrapping has not faded away.
“Japanese people, when they receive a gift, they don’t rip apart the wrapping when they open the package, they open it gently. Even the tape and other things, to not rip the paper, they go slowly, slowly. That’s because they are treating the wrapping as important, I think.”
Mr. Yamaguchi wants to introduce the culture of Japanese wrapping, “origata”, the importance of modesty and consideration of it, to not just Japan, but around the world. So, he even holds workshops overseas.
A workshop in Minami-Aoyama in Tokyo. In a relaxed atmosphere, that’s filled with laughing voices, once the hands of the participants start to move, it becomes quiet very quickly. That’s because everyone is concentrating on folding. The expression of folding with feeling is very serious. After starting to learn origata, there are many participants that, until now, did not realize about the traditional customs, but now, for ceremonial functions, hospitality, and other various interactions with people, they do. Also, they didn’t want to learn more about the origins of various things.
One of the participants made an origata gift envelope to wrap gift money that they took to a friend’s wedding. The envelopes that were lined up were designed with popular characters. The friend had no knowledge of origata, but after the wedding, they sent a letter of thanks saying “a handmade envelope has feeling, so I was happy.” Certainly, Japan’s culture of “wrapping” has still not disappeared.
