{"id":79076,"date":"2026-08-24T01:18:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T01:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/79076\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T01:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T01:18:09","slug":"the-art-of-kyotos-delicate-openwork-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/79076\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Kyoto’s Delicate Openwork Fans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sukashi uchiwa, or openwork fans, feature delicate cut-out patterns incorporated into their bamboo, wood or paper frames.<\/p>\n

The fan was devised by Aiba, a Kyoto fan maker with a history spanning more than 330 years. Its 10th-generation head has carried on the family tradition while juggling the dual roles of craftsman and business owner.<\/p>\n

“What we do is simple, but that’s what makes it so deep.”<\/p>\n

In an unmarked workshop just outside central Kyoto, 65-year-old Chobe Aiba, head of Aiba, spoke in a gentle Kyoto dialect as he worked. He and just one other craftsman produce nearly 10,000 Kyoto fans a year, including sukashi uchiwa, all entirely by hand.<\/p>\n

That day, Aiba was carefully arranging between 60 and 120 thin bamboo ribs at even intervals across a sheet of paper. The process is known as karibari, or temporary mounting.<\/p>\n

\"\"The “karibari” process is essential for creating a flat, distortion-free surface.<\/p>\n

The subtle spacing, measured to within a millimeter, has become second nature to his fingertips after 40 years in the craft. <\/p>\n

Once the ribs were arranged, Aiba applied Japanese paper to the back before peeling away the paper he had just attached. He then applied a sheet of handmade washi to create the visible surface of the fan.<\/p>\n

It may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but karibari is essential. It allows Aiba to apply a thin, even layer of glue to the bamboo ribs, helping prevent the surface from warping.<\/p>\n

“I don’t want to show a surface that’s warped like a dried squid that’s been grilled. I want to make fans that are straight and crisp,” he said, offering a glimpse of the craftsman’s pride in his work.<\/p>\n

\"\"Two craftsmen produce nearly 10,000 fans a year. (\u00a9Sankei\/Hirofumi Kakihira)<\/p>\n

Beauty in the Details<\/p>\n

Kyoto fans are distinguished by their construction, in which the fan and handle are made separately, as well as by their elaborate decoration, which traces its origins to the gosho uchiwa once made for the imperial court.<\/p>\n

The sukashi uchiwa, in particular, leaves parts of the fan open, allowing the bamboo ribs to show through and the other side to remain visible. The design is said to have been devised by one of Aiba’s predecessors.<\/p>\n

Aiba’s shop in central Kyoto occupies a more than 200-year-old traditional Kyoto machiya townhouse. Inside, delicate sukashi uchiwa feature autumn flowers such as chrysanthemums, bush clover and bellflowers, rendered in a style reminiscent of paper cutouts.<\/p>\n

\"\"Aiba is located in a more than 200-year-old traditional Kyoto townhouse in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto. (\u00a9Sankei\/Hirofumi Kakihira)<\/p>\n

Through the gaps between the bamboo ribs, customers can see a folding screen at the back of the shop. Even when two fans are layered on top of each other, its shape remains visible.<\/p>\n

The fans are so light and translucent that simply looking at them seems to evoke a gentle, cooling breeze. Yet they appear almost too delicate to generate much air when waved.<\/p>\n

“Wave it gently, and it creates a smooth breeze,” Aiba explained. “You’re not supposed to flap it around with all your strength.”<\/p>\n

Even so, he says most customers buy the fans not for practical use but to display and enjoy them.<\/p>\n

“Sukashi uchiwa appeal to the emotions. They cool the heart and give you a sense of relief.”<\/p>\n

\"\"A groove is made by hand along the edge of each bamboo rib so the fan bends smoothly. (\u00a9Sankei\/Hirofumi Kakihira)<\/p>\n

An Evolving Tradition<\/p>\n

Aiba returned to the family business at 26 and has sought to emphasize the artistic qualities of Kyoto fans as traditional crafts that cannot be replicated by mass-produced goods.<\/p>\n

“Sometimes people ask me to organize solo exhibitions and things like that, but I don’t want to stray from being a craftsman. That’s something I’m particular about,” he said.<\/p>\n

He intends to remain faithful to the craft’s foundations, carefully making each fan by hand using high-quality bamboo, glue, and washi paper.<\/p>\n

As Kyoto’s summers have grown even hotter in recent years, the value of fans as everyday tools for staying cool and helping prevent heatstroke is being reconsidered. <\/p>\n

Beyond their traditional use at festivals and summer events, fans are also gradually finding a place in interior design and fashion.<\/p>\n

With a history stretching back more than 1,000 years to the Asuka and Nara periods, the Japanese fan continues to evolve.<\/p>\n


\n\"Japan<\/a>
\nRELATED:<\/p>\n

(Read the article in Japanese<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Author: Maki Tanaka<\/a>, The Sankei Shimbun<\/p>\n

\t\tContinue Reading<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sukashi uchiwa, or openwork fans, feature delicate cut-out patterns incorporated into their bamboo, wood or paper frames. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79077,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[36683,9596,621,28998,28634,8,151,9593],"class_list":["post-79076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-kyoto","tag-crafts","tag-craftsmanship","tag-culture","tag-fan","tag-fans","tag-japan","tag-kyoto","tag-summer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79076\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}