Our Story

Keiko Furoshiki makes multipurpose fabric wraps inspired by Japanese tradition but adapted for modern use. Designed by Japanese-American artist Keiko Kira, our furoshiki wraps are beautiful, practical, and reusable. 

For centuries and to this day, furoshiki are used to transport meals, as a fashion accessory, and as a sustainable way to wrap gifts. We want to introduce this age-old solution to the modern problem of disposable paper gift wrapping.

The United States produces 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper every year, and half of that—approximately 2.3 million pounds—winds up in landfills. If every American family wrapped just 3 presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

Keiko Furoshiki was founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 2023 by Keiko, her son Tyler, and daughter-in-law Andrea. Bringing together three distinct skill sets in the areas of design, manufacturing, and marketing, this family-run business is a multi-generational project that we’re excited to share with the world.

Thank you for supporting our business!

Keiko, Tyler, and Andrea

Keiko, Tyler, and Andrea group shot

Our Team

  • Keiko

    Print Designer and Chief Furoshiki Wrapper

    Favorite print: Tulip on Water

    Keiko is the artist behind our beautiful prints and the inspiration for Keiko Furoshiki. As an artist, print-maker, and digital design wiz, she brings decades of skill and talent to the creation of our prints. She is also our source of Japanese knowledge and the best furoshiki wrapper we know.

  • Andrea

    Head of Sales and Marketing

    Favorite print: Pastel Tulips

    Keiko Furoshiki was originally Andrea's idea and after convincing the family to join in, she's taken the lead as the main business driver behind the brand. She brings a decade of experience in digital marketing and ecommerce to the project and is in charge of keeping this whole shebang growing.

  • Tyler

    Head of Manufacturing and Operations

    Favorite print: Black Sunflowers

    Tyler is a product designer and when not running his own company Function House, oversees the manufacturing, production, and wholesale operations at Keiko Furoshiki. His experience with the practical nitty-gritty of running a retail business keeps our company healthy and compliant.

About the artist Keiko Kira

Keiko Kira was born in Beppu, Japan and left as a teenager to attend high school in the United States. She went on to study Fine Arts at the University of Kansas and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Since then, Keiko has worked as an art instructor at the award-winning Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri and is currently working as an Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts.

As an artist, Keiko draws inspiration from her childhood in Japan. “I was mesmerized by the colorful seasonal changes of the trees in the nearby mountains,” she says. “I would spend hours, admiring the beauty from my bedroom window.” The pale pink and lime greens of the spring, blue and orange of the summer, blue hydrangeas of the rainy season, vibrant greens of summer, the shades of blue of the sea, and the distinctive rounded shape of the Japanese mountains inspire the palette of her designs.

But it’s not just nature that changes with the season. Japan also has a rich calendar of cultural celebrations that each has its own color scheme. Kagami Mochi, Hina Matsuri, Sakura spring cherry blossoms, and the rainy season in the rice fields all have a distinct visual code.

Tying together the awe-inspiring natural landscapes and the deeply-rooted cultural rituals of Japan are the simple objects of Keiko’s childhood home: her mother’s floral arrangements, decorative gift boxes, kimono prints, crochet sweaters, and indigo dinnerware. These everyday items act as vehicles and artifacts of the rich tapestry of Japanese aesthetic that marries function and beauty.

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