The origin of Tenugui is thought to go as far back as the ancient time (200-500 AC). The word "Tenugui" is supposed to derive from an ancient word "Ta-Nogohi" in the Heian era (794-1185). Documents of this era express "Ta" as hands, and "Nogohi" as the act of wiping. We presume the very origin of the word Tenugui, as Tenugui and Ta-Nogohi possess a similar phonetic note.

In the Kamakura era (1185-1333), where Samurai warriors gained power and de facto ruled the country, Tenugui prevailed among them. Samurai warriors placed Tenugui under their war helmets to shield them against perspiration. It was only after the period that the use of Tenugui spread to the general public.

The first boom of Tenugui was in the Edo era (1600-1867). The spread of the public bath and the technological improvement of Tenugui production (productivity, raw cotton production) accelerated the use of Tenugui in the public.

In the Meiji era (1868-1912), the demand for Tenugui was increasing and exceeding its production capacity, therefore the new dyeing method, “Chusen (注染)” was devised in its original form. The Chusen dyeing was improved and developed into a major dyeing method in later eras. The second boom turned up at the beginning of the Showa era (1926-1989), where dyes became rich in color and design patterns of fabrics by the development of chemical dyes and stencils.