Partitions of Wood and Paper Partitions to Organize Space Role as Decoration Interiors Work in the Environment

The fusumashoji in rows from the foreground to background can be opened to create a huge space, or closed to create small compartmentalized rooms, thus acting as partitions that can be moved as needed to give the space flexibility. The photo shows the Shinka-hikaejo, a sort of waiting room for retainers, at the Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa, Kyoto (17th C.). (Photo © Shigeo Okamoto)

Partitions of Wood and Paper

Portuguese missionary Luis Frois (1532–1597) came to Japan in the 16th century. In his treatise Tratado (“A Comparison of Japanese and European Cultures”), Frois recorded his impressions of Japanese houses of the time, noting that room partitions in Japan were made of paper and wood, whereas in Europe, they were made of stone, lime and brick. In the eyes of Frois, perhaps the shoji and fusuma, consisting only of paper stretched across wooden frames, as well as the wooden doors used in Japanese houses, did not appear to be very substantial partitions. Originally, shoji was the general term applied to diverse types of doors and screens (shobyogu) that were used as room partitions. What are known today as fusuma and shoji were called fusumashoji and akarishoji (light-admitting) respectively. Both shoji and fusuma are made by stretching paper across a lattice panel made from narrow wooden slats. Shoji are translucent and consist of a single thin sheet of Japanese paper or silk covering one side of the panel. Shoji are used to separate a room’s interior from the outdoors. They diffuse light well for bright illumination and provide an excellent windbreak that remains permeable for ventilation. Fusuma, meanwhile, are covered on both sides with several layers of paper and are used mainly as interior partitions. The final layer of thick paper makes them opaque. Fusuma surfaces are adorned with paintings or designs, giving them a dual role of partition and interior decoration.