MARUGAME, Kagawa Prefecture--This winter is proving to be “hot” for one specialty maker of “uchiwa” handheld ... Marugame Uchiwa fans made of traditional “washi” paper and bamboo.

Traditional hand-held fans are considered much more suitable for elegant geisha and their "maiko" apprentices in this age of health concerns over the new coronavirus. This, then, explains recent ...

Before electricity came to this region, and even afterwards when loadshedding was a daily scenario, traditional palm leaf hand-held fans were a common item in every household. Especially in rural ...