{"id":31456,"date":"2017-12-07T08:00:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T23:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=31456"},"modified":"2024-11-25T23:30:44","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T14:30:44","slug":"murakami-byobu-folding-screens-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/murakami-byobu-folding-screens-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Murakami Byobu Folding Screens Festival, Niigata Prefecture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sponsored by Murakami City<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Murakami city of Niigata prefecture<\/strong> saw great prosperity during the Edo period of Japan<\/strong>. The city stood as a notable imperial city<\/strong>, complete with a castle. Now,\u00a0there are barely any remains left of Murakami’s castle<\/strong>. Murakami\u00a0might no longer be a key metropolitan area\u00a0of Japan, but\u00a0it has left behind\u00a0a robust cultural and artistic heritage for us to enjoy to this day.
\nAn off-the-beaten-path destination<\/strong>, Murakami\u00a0remains a hidden gem<\/strong> for international travelers. The fall<\/strong> is the perfect season to\u00a0drop by, as the city holds a superb annual folding screen festival<\/strong> well worth\u00a0the visit.<\/p>\n

\"Murakami's<\/a><\/p>\n

A Look into the Life of a Samurai<\/h2>\n

Samurai, the Upper class citizens<\/strong> of feudal Japan, used to build their houses close to\u00a0the castle which was always located atop a hill.\u00a0Some of these residences are now\u00a0open to the public<\/strong>, so we can look into the past.\u00a0Both the folding screens<\/strong> and armor<\/strong> on display inside are\u00a0noteworthy.<\/p>\n

\"Upper<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Armors<\/a><\/p>\n

We were lucky enough to get a guided tour through the park by one of the gardeners, who shared with us\u00a0the history of the city. <\/strong>He\u00a0told us that one of these houses used to belong to Masako, wife of\u00a0Naruhito the now Crown Prince of Japan.<\/p>\n

\"Old<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Inside<\/a><\/p>\n

We felt the need to let the gardener go so he could continue doing his job, but he decided to stay with us a little longer and elaborate on his story of Murakami.<\/strong>\u00a0He even\u00a0gave us a ride back to the city center! You really can’t beat Japanese hospitality.<\/p>\n

Black Walls, Shiny Indoors<\/h2>\n

In the furthest area from the castle site we find the neighborhood previously inhabited by the Chonin. <\/em><\/strong>These were\u00a0<\/em>ordinary citizens who worked for the samurai (bushi<\/em>). Chonin<\/em> people<\/strong>\u00a0generally worked in the trade and\u00a0crafts\u00a0businesses. Therefore, it was the trade district of a castle town. Nowadays, this neighborhood still serves as the main shopping area of Murakami.<\/p>\n

\"Murakami's<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

We\u00a0briefly discussed\u00a0the city’s architecture in a previous article about Murakami’s Shintaku restaurant. The highest spot in the town holds a large amount of religious buildings, which are scattered\u00a0throughout an intricate maze of narrow streets and\u00a0alleys.<\/p>\n

Although Shintaku’s structure<\/strong> is of relatively recent construction, most of the buildings in the area date from the Edo period<\/strong>. Nonetheless, we can find plenty of luxury Edo relics on display inside the restaurants, such as folding screens.<\/p>\n

\"Folding<\/a><\/p>\n

These folding screens served as walls meant to separate the different areas in the restaurant,<\/strong> while simultaneously offering a\u00a0private space for all guests to enjoy. Back in the day, folding screens\u00a0always had the same dimensions so they could fit in the equally standardized tatami\u00a0<\/em>rooms<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"We<\/a><\/p>\n

Murakami’s Shopping Area<\/h2>\n

The city’s shopping district<\/strong> is located on a wide street in Omachi<\/strong>, which\u00a0crosses the city north to south. We stopped by Kikkawa to take a look at the impressive pieces found inside.<\/p>\n

\"Folding<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Folding<\/a><\/p>\n

Kosugi Shikki<\/a><\/strong> is another must visit store in Omachi. This one-of-a-kind shop<\/strong>\u00a0was once the lord’s go-to furniture manufacturer in Murakami. Kosugi Shikki specializes in luxury\u00a0lacquer-ware<\/strong>. Here both ceramics and folding screens are on display during the festival.<\/p>\n

\"Various<\/a><\/p>\n

The new owners belong to the same lineage who has been running the business for 14 generations! They kindly showed\u00a0us how these pieces are fabricated, how folding screens work, as well as the materials used to\u00a0construct them. Apparently,\u00a0folding screens\u00a0were often used\u00a0as\u00a0murals to showcase and ultimately preserve paintings<\/strong> and other pieces of art.<\/p>\n

Bigger folding screens were typically used to separate rooms, while smaller ones served the purpose of providing some privacy to home owners. Medium-sized screens were often found outside the house by the main gate to keep onlookers from peeping into the property, as well as for\u00a0purely decorative purposes.\"Folding<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally, it was time for a snack! We stopped by Fujimien<\/a> to get us some tea.<\/p>\n

\"Fujimien<\/a><\/p>\n

Tea Time Surrounded by Historic Folding Screens<\/h2>\n

Fujimien<\/strong> provides all sorts of locally-produced tea<\/strong> for its customers to try. Ice cream tea is the shop’s specialty and the most acclaimed product they have\u2014it really is as good as it sounds. The store boasts a very traditional atmosphere with a typical tea room, a Japanese fireplace with a metal teapot hanging over it and several folding screens. Not to mention the beautiful garden outside to complete the ensemble.<\/p>\n

\"Inside<\/a><\/p>\n

We left the shop and headed towards\u00a0another shopping street called\u00a0Ogunimachi. <\/strong>Here\u00a0we found\u00a0Kokonoe-en<\/strong>. From the outside this shop doesn’t look like much, but there’s a real treasure hidden inside.<\/p>\n

\"Kokonoe-en<\/a><\/p>\n

The owner greeted us with a proud smile and quickly disclosed the shop’s history, which used to serve as a hostel<\/strong> as well. There’s an impressive collection of pottery<\/strong>, tuishi<\/em> furniture<\/strong>, calligraphy sets<\/strong> and much more inside.<\/p>\n

\"Kokonoe-en's<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Kokonoe-en's<\/a><\/p>\n

Of course, we can also find lots and lots of folding screens. so much so that it’s almost a museum<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

\"Kokonoe-en's<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Kokonoe-en's<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Kokonoe-en's<\/a><\/p>\n

A series of twelve paintings featuring tigers are part of the exhibition<\/strong>.\u00a0This prized treasure set was received as a gift from a renowned painter, who\u00a0spent the night at the hostel a long time ago. The tiger was a foreign and unfamiliar animal to Japanese people, so they almost look like playful kittens in the drawings.\u00a0These pieces just so happened to be the perfect size to be incorporated into different folding screens as well.<\/p>\n

\"Folding<\/a><\/p>\n

Back to the Present<\/h2>\n

All good things must inevitably come to an end, but first we decided to stop by Kikkawa<\/a>\u00a0once more before catching our train home. A 200-year-old salmon<\/i>\u00a0shop<\/strong>, Kikkawa also exhibits a beautiful collection of historic folding screens. The impressive\u00a0Butsudan altar is worth mentioning too!<\/p>\n

\"Folding<\/a><\/p>\n