Edo Sudare (Edo-style Blinds)
Sudare (screens or blinds) have been used indoor as partitions or shades since early times.
Sudare is described in Makura No Soshi, a collection of essays written by Sei Shonagon in the middle of the Heian period. This tells us Sudare had blended in with the court life. And the Sudare of the Kamakura period has been designated as national important cultural property and stored in a temple in Kanagawa Prefecture.
One of the Sudare popular since ancient times is called Iyo Sudare (also known as Iyosu). The ones from Kyoto are considered to be the highest rank, and there were craftsmen called “Kinri Suiren Shi (literally meaning craftsmen of green Sudare for the Imperial Palace)” who specialized in making high-rank Sudare. In Edo, Sudare were used in Edo Castle, samurai residences, shrines, temples, merchant family homes or other buildings as Edo developed after Ieyasu Tokugawa started the Edo Shogunate.
According to Jinrinkinmozui published in the Genroku era in the Edo period, there is a description that there were Sudare craftsmen in a town of Edo. And from the description, we know there were craftsmen who specialized in making Sudare already in the Edo period. Sudare have spread among not only shogun, daimyo or hatamoto, people at an emperor’s court or others at high ranks but also general public and often used as shades or window blinds. Sudare also frequently appears in ukiyoe (pictures describing everyday life in the Edo Period).
After the Meiji period, Sudare were used in houses, shrines, temples or other buildings. The Tokyo-fu Shiryo (a history book of Tokyo-fu) issued in 1872, there is a description Sudare were made in various areas of Tokyo-fu.
Recently, while the amount of supply of Sudare is increasing because they are mass-produced at cheaper costs or imported from China or other countries, the number of craftsmen for hand-made Sudare is decreasing. However, the tradition and craftsmanship of Edo Sudare developed in the Edo period has been carried on to the present day. And people discovered new ways of using Sudare as stylish decors that bring graciousness to lives. Behind the trend, we believe there will be a good opportunity for new development. Base on techniques taken over for more than 300 years since the Edo period, we will continue to commit ourselves to make products with excellent design and quality that fit to modern lifestyles.
Our Sudare has been designated as traditional crafts of Tokyo by the Governor of Tokyo in 1983.
Indoor Sudare
Zashiki Sudare are made by utilizing wisdom of Japanese who bring natural scenery inside. And they have been considered to be an elegant and stylish feature of summer since the Heian period to the present day. With the taste of natural materials and subtle craftsmanship, they are valuable traditional crafts as well as necessities of our lives.
Outdoor Sudare
Outdoor Sudare are made strong and durable so that they can softly block summer sun, hold adequate ventilation and work as blinds. They are made of bamboos, reeds, cudweeds, Japanese bush clovers and cattails to maximize their durability.
Small Sudare
Both Norimaki Sudare (Sudare used for rolled sushi) and Seiro Sudare (Sudare placed in a steamer) are behind-the-scenes players supporting the food life of Japan. They have been one of the convenient tools since ancient times. The taste of natural materials of bamboos has created the taste of the Japanese food culture.
Other Sudare
Sudare are applied to sliding doors, partitions, folding screens and many other uses. And they add the beauty of traditional Japan to your front door or other places. The feature that they can be used as sliding doors will give a room a new look and be an accent to a room.