【Reading】うちわ

【English Name】Uchiwa / Fan

An uchiwa (round fan) is a traditional Japanese tool with a handle that is waved to send a breeze. In sushi it is indispensable for finishing the vinegared rice (shari): after mixing seasoned vinegar into freshly cooked rice, it is fanned in the "shari-kiri" process to blow off excess moisture and bring a luster to the rice grains. Its etymology is "utsu ha" (a striking fan), deriving from a tool to strike away harmful insects, and the kanji "団扇" is of Chinese origin, with "団" meaning a round shape. The current form of bamboo ribs and paper was established at the end of the Muromachi period, and it spread to common people in the Edo period. The production area of Marugame in Kagawa Prefecture produced about 800,000 fans a year during the Ansei era, and together with the Kyo-uchiwa and Boshu-uchiwa it is counted among Japan's three great uchiwa. At sushi shops, flat bamboo uchiwa are preferred.