Made by sasasa · Sakai, Osaka
Wazarashi Cotton Roll Free, 7 m Reusable Kitchen Cloth | sasasa
Meet the maker
Sakai, Osaka
A wazarashi cotton brand from Takeda Sarashi, a bleaching works in Sakai, Osaka, founded in 1911. Launched in 2020, sasasa turns traditional...
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A roll of Japanese cotton you tear off as you need it
Wazarashi Roll Free is 7 metres of traditional Japanese bleached cotton wound on a roll. Tear off any length you like and use it as a dish cloth, a drying cloth for vegetables, a strainer for stock, nut milk or even pour-over coffee, a cover for rising dough, or a wrap for onigiri and bread. Unlike paper towels, it is strong when wet, resists heat and can be washed and reused many times, so one roll lasts a long time.
The “Free” version has no perforations, so you can cut it to exactly the size you need for each job.
What is wazarashi?
Wazarashi is traditional Japanese bleached cotton. Raw cotton cloth is slowly boiled and bleached over several days, which removes the natural oils and starch and leaves a soft, airy fabric that absorbs water quickly and dries fast. Before paper towels, every Japanese kitchen had a length of sarashi for wiping, straining, wrapping and covering food. Think of it as something between a paper towel and a dish cloth: you can tear off just what you need, then wash it and use it again and again.
About sasasa
sasasa is the everyday line of Takeda Sarashi, a cotton bleaching works founded in 1911 in Sakai, Osaka, one of the historic centres of wazarashi production. The name comes from the Japanese sound “sa-sa-sa”, meaning quick and effortless. The brand was designed around three ideas: easy to use, easy to keep within reach, and easy to buy. Takeda Sarashi keeps chemicals and environmental impact to a minimum, so the cloth is safe for use with food.
Specifications
- Roll: approx. 35 cm wide × 7 m long (13.8 in × 23 ft), approx. 6.2 cm (2.4 in) in diameter
- Type: Free (no perforations)
- Material: 100% cotton (wazarashi, bleached oka cotton)
- Colour: white
- Made in Japan (Sakai, Osaka)
Care
- Washable and reusable. Wash before first use; the cloth becomes softer with every wash.
- Cut edges may fray a little; simply trim any loose threads.
- Dry well after each use to keep it hygienic.
The maker behind this piece
sasasa
Sakai, Osaka
A wazarashi cotton brand from Takeda Sarashi, a bleaching works in Sakai, Osaka, founded in 1911. Launched in 2020, sasasa turns traditional Japanese bleached cotton into rolls, squares and holders you can use quickly (“sa-sa-sa”) every day.
