Hello, I am Yoshi from NILS Japanese language school. We talked about Tatami last week. Do you remember? Today, we will tell you about Shoji 障子 and Fusuma 襖.
A shoji is a sliding door with wooden latticework which is built into a rectanular wooden frame. Japanese paper pasted on the latticework allows gentle sunlight to penetrate it. Shoji are used not only as adoors, but also to partition rooms. A fusuma is another kind of sliding door used in a traditional home. Unlike shoji, fusuma are made from thick Japanese paper stretched over a wooden frame to give rooms more privacy than shoji would allow. Japanese paper is ideal for the climate in Japan because it controls the level of humidity in homes by absorbing and releasing moisture. With slidind doors instead of walls, Japanese homes offer dwellers more options.



April 9th News, from NILS Japanese language school