Otona Maki, or 'adult wrapping', is a Japanese therapeutic¹ method of correcting posture² and alleviating³ body stiffness by wrapping the human body in a large piece of cloth that emulates⁴ the comfortable feel of a mother's womb. 

 

Otona Maki又称“成人裹布法”，是正在日本流行的一种矫正身姿、缓解身体僵硬的疗法。其诀窍在于，用一大块布把人体包裹起来，以模仿出胎儿在子宫的舒适感觉。
 

 

Well-known for their long work hours, many Japanese people develop posture problems and body stiffness. For a long time, getting massages⁵ and stretching have been the most popular ways of dealing⁶ with these issues, but now someone claims to have come up with an even better solution. Otona Maki is a new and intriguing⁷ way of improving posture and making your body more flexible than ever, while at the same time helping⁸ practitioners⁹ relax by recreating the comfortable feel of a mother's womb.

 

Otona Maki is not a mainstream¹⁰ practice in Japan, but after recently being featured on a popular television program, more and more people are talking about it and giving it a try. The idea behind this bizarre looking therapeutic practice is to tightly wrap the human body (in various poses) in a large piece of breathable cloth for about 15 – 20 minutes per session. Babies are often wrapped the same way to correct minor¹¹ physical defects and give them a feeling of security, and otona maki aims to do the same for adults. 

 

I'll be the first to admit that it looks pretty weird¹², but according to Yayoi Katayama of Japanese blog Vienna-Juku, there are real benefits to practicing adult wrapping. As we all know, babies and young children have very flexible spines¹³, but as we grow up, most of us lose that flexibility¹⁴. After going through several sessions with your body fixed¹⁵ in a certain position for a short amount of time, you can regain¹⁶ that natural flexibility and improve posture. Yayoi calls the practice a way to reset¹⁷ your body, and claims that after taking part in a session, she also felt relaxed and rejuvenated¹⁸.

 

But despite Japan's appetite for the bizarre, otona maki seems a bit too weird even for them. According to Kotaku, there is a lot of skepticism regarding the practice, at least on Japanese social media, with people comparing it to a mummification technique, or making references to Japanese horror films. 

 

Otona Maki was apparently¹⁹ developed by Professor Nobuko Watanabe, known for creating the Toco Chan maternity²⁰ belt, a very popular product in Japan. A 30-minute adult wrapping session costs 3240 yen²¹ ($28), while 50 minutes inside the cloth womb costs 6480 ($56).

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