The vertical rectangular panels called fusuma are always present inside the samurai residences and palaces, being used as sliding doors, or just to partition a large room. They are made from an wooden frame, covered with cardboard and a layer of Japanese paper or silk. Sometimes they are also decorated with golden leaf or painted, and the doors are opened with a handle that is also a work of art.

Photographed here is a painted fusuma inside the Honmaru Goten Palace, at the Kumamoto castle. Although it was severely damaged by the recent earthquakes, recent reports indicate that fortunately, at least these wonderful paintings are unaffected.

Honmaru Goten Palace, Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Japanese castle zigzag walls