TOKYO >> Little gifts come in handy when paying someone a visit, and wrapping them in a small tenugui hand towel can add a playful — and traditionally Japanese — touch.

The Mamegui store in Tokyo Station’s Gransta shopping area offers tiny tenugui with about 120 different patterns, ranging from seasonal motifs such as fruits and flowers, to animals such as dogs and cats. Boxes of sweets wrapped up in the cloths are on display in the shop.

Compared to a typical tenugui cloth, which is about a yard long and a foot wide, Mamegui offers square pieces that are about 10-1/2 inches.

The shop is part of the Kamawanu tenugui company, founded in 1987 as a store specializing in tenugui in Tokyo’s Daikanyama district.

The idea of selling smaller tenugui was developed when the company planned its opening of a Tokyo Station shop in 2007.

Tokyo Station being “a landmark for meetings and departures,” the company decided to offer small towels in the hope they would be used to “wrap gifts imbued with people’s feelings.”

Each pattern and design has its own meaning. A fast-growing hemp leaf, for instance, represents a wish for a child’s growth. A dragonfly means good luck in games because the insect can only move forward.

“By wrapping gifts in these cloths, senders can put their thoughts into the items without having to say anything,” said company President Kazuhiro Kato. “I wanted … these cloths (to) … help the recipients remember the moment they were given the present, every time they see the cloth.”

Among the numerous designs, the animal motifs are noted for being especially cute and making the wrapping process fun.

A small box wrapped in a cloth with a Shiba dog pattern displays the animal’s face at front and its ears at the ends of the cloth tie at top. A goldfish pattern is designed so that the fish’s bold tail fin decorates a corner of the cloth that is folded upright in dramatic fashion.

Each design has a different wrapping method to match the motif. A fun way to organize designs is by theme, such as the summer season or the ocean.

By adjusting the folds, the small tenugui can be used in a variety of ways — to wrap flowers, for example, or as a pocket handkerchief.

Because the cloths are dyed using a technique that creates the same pattern on both sides, they are especially easy to use.

The mini hand towels can also be used for home decor. For instance, cloths with patterns such as fireworks or sunflowers can be paired with wind chimes and fans to give a room a summery look. Because of the wide selection of Japanese- themed motifs and other patterns, Kato said, the towels are suitable for numerous occasions. Frames sized especially for the towels are also available.

More recently, Mamegui’s towels have been spotted on social media, used as a backdrop for shots of stuffed toys and figurines.

“I hope you can find your own way to use them to have fun,” Kato said.