Japanese Premium Imabari Face Towel - 34 × 36 cm

Imabari towels come from Imabari, a city on Japan's Shikoku island that's been the country's towel-making centre for over 120 years and today produces most of Japan's domestic towel supply. Towels carrying the official Imabari mark have to pass a stricter absorbency test than the national standard — sinking within five seconds instead of sixty — so the label is a real marker of quality, not just a place name. Beyond absorbency, Imabari towels are known for a soft, dense weave that holds up over repeated washes without going thin or scratchy.

This is a premium everyday face towel, cut to a compact 34 × 36 cm, small enough for a bag, big enough to actually dry your hands and face. Woven from 100% cotton with a dense pile, it holds a lot of water for its size and doesn't need much wringing out. We use these at the SORT counter, and they hold up well to daily washing.

Read our guide to Imabari towels to compare sizes and weights.