NIPPON Kichi - 日本吉

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2007/10/17


京すだれ Kyou-sudare Kyosudare

Jp En

Kyosudare is a hand-woven bamboo blind, which is known as a luxury item. Today, most of these handmade blinds are made in Kyoto. It is a traditional furnishing item to create a cool and elegant atmosphere.

The origin of Kyosudare is Misu (literally meaning “Holy Blind”), an indispensable item at the Imperial Palace in the Heian period (794-1192). Since Misu were forbidden to be used for the homes of the townspeople, they used bamboo blinds with no edgings.

Bamboo blinds have been passed down through the ages as an art craft in Kyoto, where there are many shrines, temples, restaurants and other traditional places. After the Meiji period (1868-1912), the square angular bamboo rods became rounded and Zashiki-sudare (an interior blind), which had edges on all four sides, came to be known as Kyosudare and spread nationwide.

The reed blinds, whose materials come from the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, are thought to be especially of high-quality. Its practicality as a partition and sun shade and its charming design has made it a popular product, which has been exported to the West as well.
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2007/5/29


群馬 諏訪峡 Gunma Suwa-kyou Suwa Gorge

Jp En

Suwa Gorge located in Minakami Town in Gunma Prefecture is a gorge created by swift flow of the Tone River. With oddly-shaped stones and rocks such as Benten-iwa Rock continuing on both sides of the stream, it is a representative scenic spot in Minakami Town. As the promenade is finely arranged along the stream, visitors can fully enjoy its beautiful scenery in each season including tender green in summer and crimson foliage in fall.

The stone monument inscribed with a poem by Yosano Akiko is erected beside the Sasame Bridge at the entrance of the gorge. The clear flow of the Tone River and Mt. Tanigawadake viewed from the bridge is exquisite. The Tamasudare-no-taki Waterfall with a height of 30 m and the Ryugase Waterfall flow down on the stream. In the vicinity are Momiji Park and Suwakyo Hot Springs, which provide visitors with a variety of activities.
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2007/1/12


江戸簾 Edosudare Edo Sudare Blinds

Jp En

Edo sudare blind-making is a traditional handicraft which uses natural materials like bamboo.
   In her 'Pillow Book', the Heian-period authoress Sei Shonagon confirms that sudare were used at court. By the early Edo period, the main techniques of sudare-making were firmly established and there were expert sudare craftsmen.
   Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), the famous Ukiyoe (woodblock-print) artist often depicted sudare in his works, such as 'Coolness in Hyakka-en', 'A Beauty behind a Sudare' and 'Fuzoku Sandan Girls'. Indeed sudare were common features in the Edo period.
   Edo sudare directly express such natural materials as bamboo, lespedeza (Japanese clover), cattail and reed. Bamboo is the most popular material and it is picked between the autumn and spring equinox, when it is firm and takes on beautiful colors.
Edo sudare are still used today as a cool interior decoration and are essential to the elegance of summer.
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2006/12/17


大阪金剛簾 Osaka-kongou-sudare Osaka Kongo Bamboo Blinds

Jp En

The making of the hanging bamboo blinds called sudare dates back to Heian period (794−1192). It is referred to in the Manyoshu. The origin of sudare is said to be misu, which was used as a partition or interior decoration at the imperial court. The making of sudare at Osaka district started at Shindo Village (a part of the present Tondabayashi City) in around 1655. Since quality bamboo is obtained at the foot of a local peak of Mt. Kongo, this area has been known for the making of sudare. Even now only natural bamboo is used. The making process is roughly divided into three steps, that is, making the splints, binding, and fitting. All the process is done by hand in the traditional way, because each natural bamboo has different color and reed space, so only a human can distinguish the subtle differences, which is indispensable to make a product attractive. Osaka Kongo sudare is being love by people even now for its taste, aroma, and utility.
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