▁floating ▁castle ▁of ▁black ▁steel ▁( i . e . ▁Japan ). ▁We ▁must ▁defend ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁all ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁Japanese ▁emp ire , ▁which ▁is ▁our ▁floating ▁castle ." ▁There ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁short ▁hand ▁written ▁poem ▁indicating ▁that ▁T such i ya ▁is ▁the ▁writer ' s ▁third ▁son ▁to ▁en list , ▁" I ▁have ▁seen ▁my ▁sons ▁leave ▁for ▁the ▁battle fields ▁three ▁times ▁on ▁a ▁fine ▁day ▁of ▁play ". ▁Also ▁on ▁the ▁cloth ▁is ▁" To ▁T such i ya ▁A ki ra ▁from ▁all ▁the ▁staff ▁of ▁the ▁Min en ob u ▁office ." ▁ ▁Modern ▁f uro sh iki ▁can ▁be ▁made ▁of ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁cloth s , ▁including ▁sil k , ▁ch ir imen , ▁cot ton , ▁ray on , ▁and ▁n yl on . ▁F uro sh iki ▁are ▁often ▁decor ated ▁with ▁traditional ▁designs ▁or ▁by ▁sh ib ori . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁one ▁set ▁size ▁for ▁f uro sh iki , ▁they ▁can ▁range ▁from ▁hand ▁s ized ▁to ▁larger ▁than ▁bed - sheets . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁common ▁sizes ▁are ▁ 4 5   cm ▁( 1 7 . 7   inch ) ▁and ▁ 6 8 – 7 2   cm ▁( 2 6 . 7 - 2 8 . 3   inch ). ▁ ▁Although ▁there ▁are ▁still ▁f uro sh iki ▁users ▁in ▁Japan , ▁their ▁numbers ▁decl ined ▁in ▁the ▁post - war ▁period , ▁in ▁large ▁part ▁due ▁to ▁the