Hinaga Fragrance Fans

The company Inatō was established in its modern form in 1881; however, it boasts a tradition that goes back for more than three centuries, at a time when the small and picturesque town of Hinaga in Mie prefecture was one of the 53 stations along the Tōkaidō, the coastal route that went all the way from Edo to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. It is often said that, back in those days, more than 10,000 people visited Hinaga every day and many of them bought the famous local uchiwa fans to offer as presents or souvenirs. Uchiwa fans were initially used by members of the aristocracy to protect themselves from the sun and the wind, or to hide their faces in certain situations. They have been used and manufactured in Japan ever since the Nara period (8th century).

The Hinaga uchiwa created by Inatō are all made by hand in the old traditional style marue, one of the three main patterns used nowadays for uchiwa. 'Marue' basically means that the whole fan is made from a single piece of thin, round bamboo wood, carefully carved so as to keep the handle round and give elasticity to the delicate strings onto which the paper is attached. Thus, Hinaga uchiwa are both extremely light, and surprisingly strong; also, the association between the fine grain of the bamboo wood and the lightness of the paper creates a beautiful and unique object which is not only useful, but pleasing to the eye as well.

The special shape of the Hinaga uchiwa allows for the handle to have a small opening at the top, where fragrant oil can be placed. The fan comes with a small bottle of Japanese traditional fragrant oil that will last you the whole summer, so that you can enjoy both the cooling effect of the uchiwa, and the pleasant fragrance of the oil. Moreover, any kind of perfume of your own choice can also be used on the uchiwa. To differentiate them from other fans, Hinaga uchiwa have a nice distinguishing feature: two coloured pieces of paper on the right and left side, on the back.