Sliding doors: Ikawa Tategu-ten 井川建具道具店
The sliding doors of the shop Tateguten Ikawa.
DR
Caulking and other whispers
In how many books films, the shoji, those sliding wooden doors whose paper walls delicately filter the rays of the sun, have made themselves accomplices in murders and cohabitation? Come here to admire, to touch, to discover the silky touch of the washi paper used, to play with its translucent aspect. And why not take one home with you?
As in In Praise of the Shadow by TANIZAKI Junichiro (1886-1965), the shoji, used in both traditional and contemporary homes, is a familiar sight in Japanese houses. With the cold, fusuma, heavy interior doors covered with paper, partition rooms allow heating a smaller area.
In summer, they disappear and open the interior to refreshing drafts. For a complete overview of the different types of Japanese sliding doors, the Ikawa store has more than enough! Plenty of used models can be bought for prices starting at 5,000 yen ($43/38€), enough to capture a bit of the spirit of an old machiya (typical wooden house).
You can completely divert these beautiful wooden objects into a more decorative function in a Western house, the original materials of which the doors are made can be used for unique screens or removable partitions. Many wood carved pieces are also available.
Address, timetable & access
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Address
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Phone
+81 (0)752 312 646. -
Timetable
from Marutamachi metro station on the Karasuma line, walk down Karasuma Street to the south. Turn left at the second crossroads. Ikawa is 50 meters away on Ebisugawa Street. -
Access
9 am to 6 pm, except Monday.
