what is a japanese shoji

Full Answer

What are Shoji used for in Japan?

They are used as doors, interior walls and windows in traditional Japanese houses and buildings. Shoji are one of the great charms of old Japanese houses that give Japanese homes their unique feel. For example, they allow shadows to be cast from one room to the next.

What is a shoji screen?

What is a Shoji Screen? A shoji is a sliding panel that is made of translucent paper in a wooden frame. They are used as doors, interior walls and windows in traditional Japanese houses and buildings. Shoji are one of the great charms of old Japanese houses that give Japanese homes their unique feel.

What is a shoji made of?

Consisting of thick, translucent paper stretched over a wooden frame holding together a lattice of wood or bamboo, shoji adorn the rooms and facades of Japanese homes, temples, and palaces. They have endured as an important fixture of the home since pre-modern Japan.

What is the origin of Shoji?

The original concept of shoji was born in China, and was imported into Japan sometime between 7th to 8th centuries. The word 'shoji' indicates 'something to obstruct' in both Chinese and Japanese.

What is the purpose of a shoji?

A shoji screen is a translucent folding screen that typically acts as a room divider to provide privacy and diffuse light throughout the room. A shoji screen typically consists of a wood frame that is filled in with paper, wicker, or cloth.

Why do Japanese use shoji screens?

Because they are so thin and light, shoji screens acting as room dividers or paper walls create privacy without completely blocking out light and sound. They're studier than curtains yet less obtrusive than wooden walls or solid doors.

What does shoji stand for?

: a paper screen serving as a wall, partition, or sliding door.

What wood is shoji made of?

The materials used in shoji can now include western red cedar, Alaskan yellow cedar, Port Orford cedar and Douglas-fir amongst other woods available in America. It is the job of the maker to ensure that quality materials, those which would live up to hinoki cypress, are utilized.

Is shoji paper waterproof?

Shoji paper is not supposed to get wet. No regular paper should be used in such locations as bathroom or by the sink. In places like this, use Waterproof Acrylic Plate. If there is a certain distance from water source, you might get away with laminated paper with good sealing on the edges.

How do you pronounce shoji in Japanese?

0:090:13How to Pronounce Shoji - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAre similar as shoji.MoreAre similar as shoji.

Why does shoji wear a mask?

Shoji Mezo's Personal & Societal Reasons To Hide His Face Where he grew up, he was widely disliked for his mutated appearance -- a young girl even burst into tears at the sight of him. This prompted Shoji to accommodate others and cover his true face, at the cost of his personal expression and authenticity.

What is a sliding door in Japan called?

shoji, Japanese Shōji, in Japanese architecture, sliding outer partition doors and windows made of a latticework wooden frame and covered with a tough, translucent white paper. When closed, they softly diffuse light throughout the house.

Why do Japanese have sliding doors?

8. Shikii and Kamoi – The “Rails” of a Sliding Door. As mentioned before, sliding doors are another iconic part of a traditional Japanese home. They can be easily adjusted to separate or open a room, regulating space, light, and temperature while saving plenty of space.

Do shoji doors lock?

sliding doors HOWEVER Japanese shojis aren't meant to be locked and their wood frame is too thin and fragile for a sturdy lock.

Are shoji screens durable?

These screens are constructed with the wood pattern on one side, and incorporate the heaviest wood lattice and frame structure currently available in the marketplace. What this means is that the screens can easily stand by themselves and are durable to last over time.

How do shoji doors sliding?

The top and bottom of the doors are cut with a matching L-shape tenon, and they slide along the groove effortlessly. Two panels on two grooves (Figure 1) slide and pass each other. When open, that means two panels on one side stacking over another, there is 3 feet opening at maximum.

Why does Japan use sliding doors?

8. Shikii and Kamoi – The “Rails” of a Sliding Door. As mentioned before, sliding doors are another iconic part of a traditional Japanese home. They can be easily adjusted to separate or open a room, regulating space, light, and temperature while saving plenty of space.

What is the difference between shoji and fusuma?

The primary difference between fusuma and shoji is that fusuma are opaque. Although fusuma may be constructed from paper it is typically a thick course grained paper that isn't translucent. Shoji on the other hand are made from a thin waxed paper that lets light through.

What are Japanese paper walls called?

shojishoji, Japanese Shōji, in Japanese architecture, sliding outer partition doors and windows made of a latticework wooden frame and covered with a tough, translucent white paper.

What is the predominant building material used in Japanese architecture?

Timber and clay have been the main building materials in Japanese house construction for hundreds of years. Timber forms the frame work, while the clay is used to wall the frame work.

What is a shoji frame?

The shōji frame is a panel called a kōshi ( 格#N#（#N#こう#N#）#N#子#N#（#N#し#N#）#N#, literally "lattice"). It is assembled from interlocking laths of wood or bamboo called kumiko. "Kumiko" literally means "woven"; the halved joints alternate in direction so that the laths are interwoven. The interweaving is structural, and the paper (which is tensioned by spraying it with water) further strengthens the finished panel. Frames can easily be broken by stepping on them when they are dismounted and stripped for re-papering. No fasteners are traditionally used to hold the frame together. Rice glue can also be used in the frame joints.

What is shoji lattice?

Most shōji lattices are rectangular. However, about 200 traditional patterns are used; each has a symbolism, associated with the natural pattern it stylistically represents. Patterns may also be combined. While these are traditionally used for shoji, they are increasingly used for other woodwork items, in and outside Japan. Patterns can be classified according to jigumi, the foundational grid; this may be square, diamond-shaped, or hexagonal. Rectangular shoji may skew, in which case bent springs of bamboo are inserted into the short diagonal to push them back square. There can be substantial artistry in frame design.

What is the tatami room surrounded by?

A tatami room surrounded by paper shōji (paper outside, lattice inside). The shōji are surrounded by an engawa (porch/corridor); the engawa is surrounded by garasu-do, all-glass sliding panels.

Why are shoji made of rice paper?

Shoji are not made with rice paper, though this is commonly asserted outside of Japan, possibly simply because "rice paper" sounds oriental. Paper on shoji is traditionally renewed annually; glue lines are soaked, and the paper peeled away. If peeled carefully, paper may come away in one piece.

How are shoji used in buildings?

Shōji are very lightweight, so they are easily slid aside, or taken off their tracks and stored in a closet, opening the room to other rooms or the outside. Fully traditional buildings may have only one large room, under a roof supported by a post-and-lintel frame, with few or no permanent interior or exterior walls; the space is flexibly subdivided as needed by the removable sliding wall panels. The posts are generally placed one tatami -length (about 2m or 6 ft) apart, and the shōji slide in two parallel wood-groove tracks between them. In modern construction, the shōji often do not form the exterior surface of the building; they sit inside a sliding glass door or window.

Why are shoji important?

Shōji are valued for not setting a sharp barrier between the interior and the exterior; outside influences such as the swaying silhouettes of trees, or the chorus of frogs, can be appreciated from inside the house. As exterior walls, shōji diffuse sunlight into the house; as interior partitions between rooms, they allow natural light deep into the interior. While shōji block wind, they do allow air to diffuse through, important when buildings were heated with charcoal. Like curtains, shōji give visual privacy, but they do not block sounds. Shōji are also thought to encourage a home's inhabitants to speak and move softly, calmly, and gracefully, an important part of the ethos behind sukiya-zukuri architecture. Sliding doors cannot traditionally be locked.

How many sliding panels are in a Shoji?

Shoji as usually mounted with two sliding panels in an opening. If the full opening is wanted, panels are removed. 2×2.5 ken house.

What is shoji door?

What is Shoji? When you hear the word 'shoji' (pronounced 'show-jee'), in modern Japan, shoji means wooden sliding doors with translucent paper on. These doors slide on wood tracks very smoothly and quietly, work as a room divider or window coverings.

Why is shoji door so popular in Japanese houses?

This sliding shoji door and track system worked so well in traditional Japanese house, because a house used to have only one large room with no permanent walls, in the old times. Talking about an open concept floor plan! Another important element of shoji is the lattice work, or 'kumiko' (translates 'woven').

What is the bottom rail of a door?

Bottom rail lies on the floor, sticking about a half inch. There are deep grooves in the top rail and shallow grooves in the bottom. Grooves are slightly narrower than the door stile thickness. The top and bottom of the doors are cut with a matching L-shape tenon, and they slide along the groove smoothly.

What is shoji paper made of?

Traditionally shoji paper was always 'washi' (=literal translation is 'Japanese paper'), commonly made of these 3 kinds of materials, Japanese mulberry tree called 'Kozo', or shrubs called 'Mitsumata' and 'Ganpi'. The paper was scarce and valuable because it was all natural and hand-made, until manufacturing of shoji paper began in late 1800s.

Why is shoji paper so valuable?

The paper was scarce and valuable because it was all natural and hand-made, until manufacturing of shoji paper began in late 1800s . The use of synthetic and chemical fiber started around 1960s, making the paper very affordable. What made shoji so great and popular, has a lot to do with what the shoji paper does.

How wide is a Japanese house?

Inside of a traditional Japanese house, there are very little permanent wall. Rooms are separated by corner posts that support beams. If there is a typical 6 feet wide opening, there would be two panels of 3 feet (plus a stile width) wide shoji door. One track is on the floor and the other track is at the top.

How deep are the grooves on a beam?

The top rail is attached to the bottom side of a beam. Two grooves are cut on each rail. The top grooves are 5/8 inch deep and the bottom grooves are only 1/16 inch deep.

What is Shogi game?

Shogi (将棋, shōgi, English: / ˈʃoʊɡiː /, Japanese: [ɕo̞ːŋi] or [ɕo̞ːɡʲi]), also known as Japanese chess or the Game of Generals, is a two-player strategy board game that is the Japanese variant of chess. It is the most popular chess variant in Japan. Shōgi means general's ( shō 将) board game ( gi 棋 ).

How does shogi end?

The usual way for shogi games to end is for one side to checkmate the other side's king, after which the losing player will be given the opportunity to admit defeat. Unlike western chess or xiangqi, checkmate is almost always the end result in shogi since pieces never retire from play which gives the players a sufficient number of pieces to deliver checkmate. However, there are three other possible ways for a game to end: repetition ( 千日手 sennichite ), impasse ( 持将棋 jishōgi ), and an illegal move (反則手). The first two – repetition and impasse – are particularly uncommon. Illegal moves are also uncommon in professional games although this may not be true with amateur players (especially beginners).

How do Shogi pieces work?

Shogi pieces capture the same as they move. Normally when moving a piece, a player snaps it to the board with the ends of the fingers of the same hand. This makes a sudden sound effect, bringing the piece to the attention of the opponent. This is also true for capturing and dropping pieces.

How many moves does a shogi game have?

In comparison, shogi games average about 140 (half-)moves per game ( or 70 chess move-pairs) whereas chess games average about 80 moves per game (or 40 chess move-pairs) and minishogi averages about 40 moves per game (or 20 chess move-pairs).

What is the Japanese game of generals?

Shogi (将棋, shōgi, English: / ˈʃoʊɡiː /, Japanese: [ɕo̞ːŋi] or [ɕo̞ːɡʲi]), also known as Japanese chess or the Game of Generals, is a two-player strategy board game that is the Japanese variant of chess. It is the most popular chess variant in Japan.

What happens when you reach an impasse in Shogi?

If an Impasse happens, the winner is decided as follows: each player agrees to an Impasse, then each rook or bishop, promoted or not, scores 5 points for the owning player, and all other pieces except kings score 1 point each. A player scoring fewer than 24 points loses. (Note that in the start position, both players have 27 points each.) If neither player has fewer than 24, the game is no contest — a draw. In professional shogi, an Impasse result is always a draw since a player that cannot obtain the 24 points will simply resign. Jishōgi is considered an outcome in its own right rather than no contest, but there is no practical difference. As an Impasse needs to be agreed on for the rule to be invoked, a player may refuse to do so and attempt to win the game in future moves. If that happens, there is no official rule about the verdict of the game.

When was Shogi first played?

Shogi in its present form was played as early as the 16th century, while a direct ancestor without the drop rule was recorded from 1210 in a historical document Nichūreki, which is an edited copy of Shōchūreki and Kaichūreki from the late Heian period (c. 1120).

What is Shoji Kumiko made of?

Shoji Kumiko (lattice) in Japan is made from a solid mass of linden, cedar, fir, and spruce, giving the most even color and uniform texture.

How many shoji patterns are there in Japan?

Perhaps this will be a real discovery for you, but there are more than 200 shoji patterns in Japan, and each of them has its meaning and history. However, we will not go too far – just talk in more detail about the most popular types of structures for Japanese sliding doors.

What is the Yukimi shoji style?

In addition, there is also the Yukimi shoji style, where non-transparent sections surround one flat panel of glass or paper.

What is Eastern Eco?

Eastern Eco: Shoji materials. Japanese style involves the maximum possible use of natural materials in architecture and decor, and shoji is no exception. Modern technologies and trends allow the selection of sliding doors made of aluminum profiles and bases made of polyurethane, glass, or plastic. However, designers still insist on ...

What do shoji look like?

What they look like outwardly, you probably saw. Sliding doors, lat tice base, thin translucent material – modern shoji practically do not differ from their “ancestors” created many centuries ago.

What is aragumi shoji?

In general, aragumi shoji is a versatile solution that will easily fit into any Japanese-style interior.

What was the Heian era?

In the Heian era (794-1185), more static solutions and a tendency towards greater privacy gradually entered the interior fashion. At the same time, fusuma appeared – doors with leaves made of thick opaque paper on wooden frames. Such structures were sliding, opened, and closed along the guides made of wood, rubbed with wax for easy and noiseless sliding. Over time, fusuma also became a valuable decorative detail: they were covered with drawings and paintings, giving the interior an unconditional individuality.

Appearance

Mezo is a tall, muscular young man with pale gray hair swept forwards, covering most of his face, and bent downwards at almost a right angle over his eye.

Personality

Despite his frightening appearance, Mezo is a very friendly and gentle person who will work nicely with anyone. He is not the type to hold grudges, showing no ill will towards those that harm him unwillingly.

Overview

Construction

Development and use

Aesthetics and culture

See also

Further reading

External links

Overview

Equipment

Setup and gameplay

Rules

Player rank and handicaps

Notation

Strategy and tactics

Etiquette