Wood has defined the atmosphere of the Japanese house, and this atmosphere has helped shape our sense and appreciation of color and material. Folding screens can be used to separate one part of a room from another. Early screens were silk cloth on a wooden framework, but in Japan they eventually evolved into fusuma and shoji doors. These doors slide along grooves in the floor and lintel between wooden pillars, to separate living areas. Compared to the short fibers of western paper, Japanese paper uses the long, strong fibers of the paper mulberry tree and other plants.
Sturdy paper lends itself to many uses in the home and outdoors.
In the old days, shoji paper was thick. Over time, the paper was made thinner to let in more light. This shows that people even back then had a strong appreciation of the various properties and possibilities of paper. Paper softens the rays of light entering a home, and the Japanese have developed a sensitive appreciation of different shades of light. And then we discovered how to use shade and shading to create beauty.