Japanese Hand Towel Goldfish

Japanese cotton towel featuring a kingyo goldfish design, with a double weave of gauze and terry cloth

Goldfish were first brought to Japan from China around 1502 and for a long time were the preserve of wealthy households, admired in ceramic bowls. It was not until the middle of the Edo period, with the development of fish farming, that they began to appear on the streets, sold by street vendors who carried their tubs from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.

Five centuries later, it’s no longer confined to a bowl: Hamamonyo has printed it onto a 25 cm square of cotton that you can carry with you. Between the two layers of fabric, the terry weave absorbs moisture whilst the gauze speeds up drying, and this hand towel can be folded away without remaining soggy. A Japanese towel that fits just as easily into a swimming bag as it does into a jacket pocket, and slips effortlessly into a gift parcel.