THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FUKUSA
THE BIGGER BUT SMALLER SIBLING OF THE FUROSHIKI

GIVING A MONETARY GIFT

When giving a traditional monetary gift at ceremonial occasions (like a wedding), there are two things you will need: a kinpū (envelope for monetary gifts) and a fukusa to wrap the envelope, as it is considered uncouth to present gifts without covering them first. Each type of envelope has a different symbolic characteristic and differs for various occasions, and so, there are (next to all the possibilities for fukusa) different kinds of kinpū to choose from.

Shugi-bukuro

A shugi-bukuro (祝儀袋) is a special envelope for monetary gifts that holds another envelope containing the money (nakabukuro). Kinpū and nakabukuro are made of washi (和紙, bleached traditional Japanese paper) to reflect the heart of the giver, representing purity, sanctity, and proper behavior.

The name of the giver and the amount of money given will be written on the nakabukuro. Then, the money will be inserted into the inner envelope, which will then be closed with the shugi-bukuro. Furthermore, shugi-bukuro have a noshi 熨斗 (origami-like decoration) and a mizuhiki 水引 (decorative cord, similar to the Western use of ribbons tied in a bow around a present) attached to them and are used when dedicating money to a shrine or when giving congratulatory money, especially at weddings or other auspicious occasions, such as a birth or the celebration of a new home. For such celebratory events, Japanese use red and white mizuhiki.

Shūgi-bukuro were traditionally handmade by the person giving the money and usually given to Japanese geisha (芸者), also known as "geiko" (芸子) in Kyoto and as "kanazawa" or "geigi" (芸妓) in other regions. They are a class of female performing artists and entertainers, often for a wealthy clientele, at parties known as "ozashiki," as well as on stage and at festivals. They were trained in traditional Japanese performing arts styles, such as dance, music, and singing, and were proficient conversationalists and hosts. These practices have now largely fallen out of fashion, except for the tradition of giving money.

Bushugi-bukuro or Koden-bukuro

Bushūgi (不祝儀) or fushūgi (ぶしゅうぎ, ふしゅうぎ) means unhappiness, sorrow, misfortune, disaster, accident, or death. The characters for bushūgi can be translated as follows: 不 means negative, non-, bad, ugly, and clumsy, while 祝 stands for celebrate and congratulate, and 儀 can be interpreted as ceremony, rule, affair, case, and matter.

Kouden (香典) or okouden (お香典) is condolence money. Hence, an envelope used for condolences, such as at a funeral, is called a "bushugi-bukuro" (also known as "fushugi-bukuro") or "koden-bukuro" (also known as "okoden-bukuro").

Like with shugi-bukuro, the condolence money is placed within a sheer-white piece of washi paper inside the kinpū. The envelope is then fastened mostly with either a faced-up black and white or simply a white mizuhiki ribbon, depending on religious affiliation or denomination. Some religions or denominations even allow the usage of patterns such as lotuses or lilies.

Otoshidama-bukuro or Pochi-bukuro

Otoshidama-bukuro (お年玉袋) are decorative paper envelopes for otoshidama, monetary New Year's gifts. Otoshidama-bukuro are also called "pochi-bukuro" when referring to smaller envelopes. Recently, the range of sizes for these envelopes has diversified, with larger ones developed for bills folded in half (rather than the proper way of folding them into thirds), as well as smaller ones designed to hold coins.

Pochi means "tip" or "gratuity" in the Kansai dialect and originally showed an attitude of humbleness. The two kanji characters for "pochibukuro" (点袋) represent the words "point" (meaning small) and "bag," "pouch," or "sack." Various theories exist about the origin of pochi-bukuro, with some saying that geisha in the Kansai area called tips or gratuities "pochi," so the name "pochi-bukuro" was a humble way to describe an envelope containing a small amount of money.

An infinite number of designs can be drawn on these washi envelopes. The designs can be painted by hand, silkscreen-printed, or printed with woodblocks. The motifs include komongara (repeated patterns of small traditional symbols), kisshomonyo (motifs based on auspicious omens), fubutsushi (scenery typical of a certain season), and the seasons in general. They can also be quite witty and humorous.

The envelopes don't have to be used just for money. In fact, they can be used in various other ways, such as for conveniently organizing loose items in bags and pouches.

Noshi

Noshi (熨斗) are a kind of ceremonial origami that are attached to a gift as a decoration, serving to express good wishes from the gift-giver to the gift-receiver. They signal longevity due to the homophone of the word "noshi" (伸し), which means "flattening" and "expanding."

Noshi are folded from pieces of white washi paper (entirely distinct from origami-tsuki) and are then wrapped in a sheet of colored paper to form a long hexagonal shape.

Noshi will include mizuhiki and a strip of flattened abalone or meat, since they are believed to be an auspicious food prolonging life and considered a token of good fortune. Abalone have been used as sacred food offered to Shinto gods since ancient times in Japan.

Mizuhiki

Mizuhiki (水引) is an ancient Japanese art form that uses twines of washi rice paper tied in knots (musubi 結) to decorate gifts and small envelopes.

To tie is something special in Japan since the knots reflect the relationships that are tied together. The word "marriage" (kekko 結婚) is composed of the kanji "musubi" on the left and the kanji "relationship" on the right, meaning that two souls are tied together. There are many ways of tying a mizuhiki, and all these knot variations have different purposes and deeper cultural meaning. Each knot fits the needs of the respective social contexts in which they are used, such as weddings, births, funeral services, and hospital visits.

The core meaning of each mizuhiki knot, though, is derived from how easily the knot can be undone. There are two main categories of mizuhiki knots.

Musubi-kiri or Awabi Musubi

The first category includes knots called "musubi-kiri" (結び切り) or "awabi musubi" (鮑結び). They are difficult to unravel once fully tied. Their form symbolizes stable relationships and deep feelings of condolence, as well as the giver's wish for an event to occur once and only once. Thus, they are commonly used for weddings, funerals, and get-well wishes—occasions that should not happen again.

Cho-musubi

The second category includes knots called "cho-musubi" (蝶結び, bowknot style). These knots can be tied and retied many times over and are therefore used mostly for celebratory and joyful events (excluding weddings), such as the birth of a child, entrance or graduation ceremonies, and promotions, since these occasions should repeat many times over. A great example of a knot belonging to this category is the hana-musubi (flower knot).

By placing beauty and meaning in small details (different knots and colors), mizuhiki has provided a way for the gift-giver to express what’s often hard to put into words. The receiver's appreciation of the gift itself, and the delicate thought that went into the tying of it, forms a unique mode of communication.