The Fukusa is an undecorated silk cloth used in the Japanese matcha tea ceremony by the host to ritually purify tea utensils before and after preparing the matcha. The cleaning and the ceremonial folding of the Fukusa is seen as a form of meditation as well as a sign of respect to the guests and the tools. Traditionally, purple fukusa are used by men, while women use red or orange cloths. In Japan, the colour purple is considered yin (female) and red/orange yang (male), therefore using fukusa in the colour of the opposite gender is seen as a way to balance these energies.