Unlike Western countries, Japan has different traditions when it comes to decorating interiors of houses. In old traditional houses there are no paintings in massive frames or tapestries. Instead, the simple geometry of rooms is decorated with wall paintings and folding screens.
Though I didn't have the chance to visit many old Japanese houses, two that I did visit were very impressive – the Hyakudan Kaidan in Tokyo and Kobuntei in Mito.
I visited Hyakudan Kaidan to see the ‘Wa no Akari’ exhibition of illuminated objects housed there. I liked the exhibition, but together with the paintings which were quite rich and decorative, it was a bit ‘too much’. Paintings were not only on the walls, but on the ceilings as well. Even the ceiling of a corridor with steps to the top was decorated. The paintings pictured women in kimono, samurai, Japanese fans, flowers and plants, and seasons and landscapes, including the iconic view of Fuji-san on a golden background. All of those paintings were intricately detailed, so I was amazed.
Kobuntei is another traditional house which is located in Kairakuen, the famous plum garden in Mito. That house was more modest than the Hyakudan Kaidan, but its paintings were absolutely charming! Each room was painted in one theme, such as blooming sakura, pine trees, momiji (Japanese maple) in autumn, blooming azaleas, summer flowers, birds, and so on. All of those paintings were very light and ‘alive’, so guests sitting in one of the rooms could feel as if they were sitting in a garden or in a bamboo grove. I liked those paintings very much, though I can’t say they were classical Japanese paintings – they were styled like modern paintings. The inspiration for the paintings was right nearby, in the gardens around Kobuntei house. As I was leaving, I saw the same azalea bushes that I'd seen on the wall painting in the house.
I saw beautiful folding screens with paintings on golden backgrounds in museums and temples of Japan and thought they were decorations from times gone by. To my surprise, I found a similar small screen in the bedroom of my friend’s house where I stayed!
