This is called “otona maki” (おとなまき) or “adult wrapping.”
The practice is certainly not mainstream, but was recently introduced on Japanese TV.
The idea is that it is supposed to help you relax by wrapping your body tightly, returning you to the feeling you had in the womb, creating a sense of security.
After seeing images of “adult wrapping,” people online in Japan described it as “scary.” If you don’t like tight spaces, it certainly might be!
These folks look like balled-up living mummies!
According to Viennajuku, people are wrapped in soft, breathable cloth for about 15 to 20 minutes (there are longer courses).
Obviously, they are wrapped and then monitored by a health care professional.
In Japan, there are inevitable comparisons to scenes out of horror movies like Audition.
But since babies have traditionally been wrapped in soft cloth to help them feel secure, maybe there’s something in this?
Folks who have done otona maki said it helped them feel relaxed or even sleepy.
There are now midwifes who wrap mothers post pregnancy so they can understand what their baby’s life was like in the womb.
The wrapping also supposed to help make you more flexible, improving posture.
It might work, but... Yeah, I dunno, man. I dunno.
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