Behind our Wrapping Paper Design [包み紙について]

My uncle, Minoru Ojisan, wrote 10 sheets of calligraphy every single day. He never wrote the same thing twice but would always come up with little ‘kotowaza’s’ [proverbs] or beautiful metaphors to convey the importance of kindness. No doubt, over the years his house became filled with stacks on stacks of years worth of writings. These tall towers covered his house like  furniture of wisdom.

He was a very well respected man where he lived in Kyoto and it wasn't uncommon for us to go to a local restaurant and see one of his writings mounted on the wall.

In Japan, bowing is a sign of respect and the deeper the bow the deeper your sign of gratitude. Whenever we went to these restaurants with Minoru the staff would see him and immediately try to get their noses to touch their toes. He would always bow just as deep back and the rest of us would follow.

Minoru always took pride in how he dressed. He only wore nice things and he had posture like a tree. He was an honourable man and although he hasn't been with us for a while now, there is something very powerful about his presence living as deep as his bows in his writings. 

Cherishing your culture, identity and community are the cornerstones of Itadaki and it is so important to me that our community can feel this too. I want every part of the Itadaki experience to be romantic and meaningful and so it just felt right to use one of his precious writings for our wrapping paper design. Now all your orders are wrapped up in Minoru’s words of poetry.

This is just one of many of his writings but the one we have chosen to use and it translates to say:

'Always feel grateful for all that you have. Those who are kind to the weak and lost will find happiness in the future.'