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Japanese Sliding Doors: Shouji 障子 & Fusuma 襖

The Japanese people have been known for their ingenuity and sophisticated crafting

skills of wood in building architectures,

since the ancient times. Architectural

features like sliding wooden doors Shouji

障子 and Fusuma 襖 reflect how the

Japanese culture has been coloured by

those woodworks. When anyone visits old

temples, palaces of the imperial family or

any castle of a shogun, the functionality

of these two types of doors is revealed to

him in its ingenuity and aesthetic. Even

today, it is one of the most common

elements seen in traditional Japanese-

style houses’ decor.

Hikido (引き戸): Shouji 障子

& Fusuma 襖

Shouji 障子 and Fusuma 襖 are the two

well-known Hikido (引き戸). Hikido (引き戸) is a generic term for doors which slide

sideways. Unlike the swinging doors that open in and out, 引き戸 opens by sliding

horizontally on sill and head jamb tracks and requires no space for opening and

closing. Thus it conserves space and can easily be kept open when occasion

demands. Because of this feature it perfectly suited to the Japanese-style buildings’

smaller architecture. The Shouji 障子 and Fusuma 襖 are classified as hikishouji 引障

子, or a pair of sliding doors which move in one track and rather than overlap. They

do not have any wheel under them, so they are carefully crafted to slide in theirslots using a one-finger push.

Shouji 障子 or Akarishouji 明障子

Shouji 障子 consists of a checkered lightweight wooden framework and a single thin

sheet of translucent Japan paper washi 和紙 mounted only on the outer side of a

wooden lattice to let the light through. The washi paper used for shoji screens is

made with a specific thinness that allows the light to enter in a pleasant way and to

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distribute evenly, making it soft to the eye. It produces the beauty of “shade and

shadow” and maintains privacy.

Shouji started being used in the 8th

century during the late Heian Period, and

served to divide one room into two smaller

rooms, the same as Fusuma. As the paperis translucent, Shouji are also used as

window shades instead of curtains to

soften direct sunlight coming through the

window. These doors are sometimes used

in the summer because they pass light and

give a cooler feeling. Traditional Japanese

homes have exterior shutters called ama-

do. These shutters are closed at night and

during bad weather. A Shouji 障子 ,

whenever it is used, is positioned onthe inboard side of the wooden shutters.

On a nice day the home’s shutters might

be opened up, making the Shouji easily

visible from the outside. The Shouji doors

are not meant to be exposed to the rain.

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There are two typical types of Shoji. The traditional type has a single grid with

framing, paper applied to only one side. The grid is visible from inside the room,

with just the paper and shadow of the grid visible from outside the house. The

western style is to have 2 identical grid-works with the paper sandwiched in the

center. Fine, thin silk cloth is occasionally used instead of paper.

Shoji can be designed in many different ways depending on the design of the lattice

frame. There are shoji called yukimi-shoji, or snow viewing shoji which incorporate a

glass window in the lower portion of the door, a vertical shoji sliding panel can be

raised revealing the window.

Fusuma 襖 or Fusumashouji 襖障子:

As distinguished from the translucent screen Shouji 明障子, Fusuma 襖 is an opaque

sliding door. It is an

interior door used as a

partition between rooms

to block eyes and ascupboard doors. They

are usually covered with

a decorative paper and

are normally used as

pairs, or as pairs of

pairs.

Fusuma 襖 consists of a

wooden lattice

understructure with

special Japanese paper

pasted on either side.

They typically have a

black lacquer border, and round indented metal door-pulls for opening and closing.

There is air space between the two pieces of paper that acts as insulation to help

keep the room cool in summer and warm in winter. Unlike the translucent

Akarishouji 明障子 , Fusuma doors are

made with a heavier paper. The

unique papers and clothes covering

the surface of Fusuma also decoratethe door and the room altogether by

their pictures that varies from

traditional designs to modern designs.

Fusuma first appeared in the

Muromachi period (1392-1565). They

were used to close off large spaces

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fusuma: Sannoma Joraku Hall, Nagoya Castle's main keep

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into smaller rooms and

as closet doors. During

the Azuchi-Momoyama

( 安土桃山時代 : 1568-

1600) and Edo ( 江戸時

代 : 1600-1868)periods, military lords

established splendid

castles for the purpose

of showcasing their

wealth and power. In

these

castles, Fusuma were

decorated with

beautiful brightly

colored paintings and gold leaf. We can view some of the artistic Fusuma created

during this period on display at Nijo-jo castle, Nishihonganji Temple, and other

places in Kyoto. Until around 150 years ago, you could find the most

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beautiful and artistic screens in the houses and castles of Samurai warriors.

Thus Fusuma served as canvases for ink drawings or colored paintings by famous

artists. Many of these artistic Fusuma qualify as national treasures.

Historically, Fusuma were painted, often with scenes from nature such as

mountains, forests or animals.

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Painting on fusuma: outside the Kyoto imperial palace

Sliding doors at Enko-ji

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Today, many feature plain rice paper, or have industrially printed graphics of fans,

autumn leaves, cherry blossoms, trees, or geometric graphics. Patterns for children

featuring popular characters can also be purchased.

Modern Trends:

However, it appears that Shouji 障子 and Fusuma 襖 that easily transmits light and

sound, are dying out in popularity, due to the advent of air conditioning and

westernization of Japanese homes. People nowadays, in order to increase privacy,

prefer to have individual rooms in their home rather than a large space closed off

into smaller rooms with fusuma 襖. As a result, there are fewer and fewer shouji 障子

and fusuma 襖 in modern Japanese homes.

For Further Reading:

• A companion To Japanese History by William M. Tsutsui

• Architecture and Authority In Japan by William H. Coaldrake

• Japan Style: Architecture, Interiors & Design by Geeta Mehta & Kimie Tada

• In Harmony of the Japanese House by Atsushi Ueda

• http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/parent.html

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http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/parent.html



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• http://www.reigrut.net/us/travel/japan/index.html

• http://www.city.nagoya.jp/global/en/nagoyanews/200601/

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dji

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http://www.reigrut.net/us/travel/japan/index.html


http://www.city.nagoya.jp/global/en/nagoyanews/200601/


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dji





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