{"product_id":"kurikawa-shoten-shomaru-uchiwa-fan-red-copy","title":"Kurikawa Shoten Shomaru Uchiwa Fan - Black","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"386\" data-end=\"398\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"386\" data-end=\"398\"\u003eThe Item\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"400\" data-end=\"532\"\u003eCrafted in Kyoto by \u003cstrong data-start=\"420\" data-end=\"439\"\u003eKurikawa Shoten\u003c\/strong\u003e, this hand-finished \u003cem data-start=\"460\" data-end=\"468\"\u003euchiwa\u003c\/em\u003e fan is both an object of refinement and eminent practicality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"534\" data-end=\"856\"\u003eEach fan is made entirely by hand from just four natural materials: Japanese \u003cem data-start=\"611\" data-end=\"618\"\u003ewashi\u003c\/em\u003e paper, bamboo, persimmon tannin, and rice-derived glue.\u003cbr data-start=\"674\" data-end=\"677\"\u003eThe persimmon tannin—deeply rooted in traditional craft—acts as a natural preservative and insect repellent, while imparting a warm, amber hue that deepens beautifully with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"858\" data-end=\"1070\"\u003eWe’ve selected three of Kurikawa’s most beloved everyday models. You may choose to decorate your fan with paint or calligraphy, or leave it in its pure, unadorned state—an ode to the quiet beauty of simplicity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1072\" data-end=\"1131\"\u003eYou can watch a video of their production process \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=qgC8YRICqC8\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1138\" data-end=\"1155\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1138\" data-end=\"1155\"\u003eThe Tradition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1157\" data-end=\"1538\"\u003eSpecialized production of \u003cem data-start=\"1183\" data-end=\"1191\"\u003euchiwa\u003c\/em\u003e began around 1600, when a traveling priest from \u003cstrong data-start=\"1240\" data-end=\"1257\"\u003eMarugame City\u003c\/strong\u003e—famous for its fans—shared his techniques with artisans in \u003cstrong data-start=\"1317\" data-end=\"1327\"\u003eKutami\u003c\/strong\u003e, a city known for its fine paper, in exchange for a night’s lodging. Over centuries, Kyoto craftsmen further refined the form, transforming a simple cooling tool into an art of proportion, balance, and grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1540\" data-end=\"1708\"\u003eToday, \u003cstrong data-start=\"1547\" data-end=\"1566\"\u003eKurikawa Shoten\u003c\/strong\u003e is the only remaining workshop that unites and preserves the traditions of all three major fan-making centers: Marugame, Kutami, and Kyoto.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1710\" data-end=\"1781\"\u003eJapanese \u003cem data-start=\"1719\" data-end=\"1727\"\u003euchiwa\u003c\/em\u003e fans are typically classified into five archetypes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"1783\" data-end=\"2080\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"1783\" data-end=\"1844\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1785\" data-end=\"1844\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1785\" data-end=\"1795\"\u003eBussen\u003c\/strong\u003e – wide and round, used by monks and in temples\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"1845\" data-end=\"1900\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1847\" data-end=\"1900\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1847\" data-end=\"1856\"\u003eKoban\u003c\/strong\u003e – oval, named after the Edo-era gold coin\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"1901\" data-end=\"1958\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1903\" data-end=\"1958\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1903\" data-end=\"1914\"\u003eShomaru\u003c\/strong\u003e – small, balanced, and perfectly portable\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"1959\" data-end=\"2015\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1961\" data-end=\"2015\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1961\" data-end=\"1971\"\u003eSensen\u003c\/strong\u003e – refined, formal fans for ceremonial use\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"2016\" data-end=\"2080\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2018\" data-end=\"2080\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"2018\" data-end=\"2029\"\u003eNagadai\u003c\/strong\u003e – elongated, with a graceful vertical silhouette\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fans we've sourced are examples of \u003cem\u003eshomaru\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"963\" data-start=\"948\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"963\" data-start=\"948\"\u003eThe Culture\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2104\" data-end=\"2268\"\u003eIntroduced to Japan from China during the \u003cstrong data-start=\"2146\" data-end=\"2175\"\u003eKofun period (300–710 CE)\u003c\/strong\u003e, the fan has evolved over more than a millennium through ritual, adaptation, and artistry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2270\" data-end=\"2488\"\u003eIn Japan, the \u003cem data-start=\"2284\" data-end=\"2292\"\u003euchiwa\u003c\/em\u003e serves many roles: a means of relief in the summer heat, a gesture of modesty in courtly life, a spiritual talisman to repel evil, and a sign of status and refinement in Noh and Kabuki theater.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2490\" data-end=\"2826\"\u003eAmong everyday citizens, \u003cem data-start=\"2515\" data-end=\"2523\"\u003euchiwa\u003c\/em\u003e fans remain tools of daily life—used to coax the flames of a charcoal grill (\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003estill observable in Shinjuku's \u003cem\u003eOmoide Yokocho\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/span\u003e, to stir incense smoke, or to drive away insects in the humid countryside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2490\" data-end=\"2826\"\u003eEven today, they’re gifted at festivals and celebrations as emblems of goodwill and good fortune, a wish for gentle winds in the heat of the season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1383\" data-start=\"1370\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1383\" data-start=\"1370\"\u003eThe Brand\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2848\" data-end=\"3227\"\u003eFounded in Kyoto during the Meiji era, \u003cstrong data-start=\"2887\" data-end=\"2906\"\u003eKurikawa Shoten\u003c\/strong\u003e continues to produce handmade \u003cem data-start=\"2937\" data-end=\"2945\"\u003euchiwa\u003c\/em\u003e in the same way they have for over a century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2848\" data-end=\"3227\"\u003eAs the last workshop bridging the traditions of Marugame, Kutami, and Kyoto, they embody a rare continuity—preserving not only the techniques of fan-making but the spirit of patience, humility, and care that defines Japanese craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3229\" data-end=\"3335\"\u003eWe’ve chosen three of their most classic, everyday models: durable, graceful, and quietly indispensable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1768\" data-start=\"1755\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1768\" data-start=\"1755\"\u003eThe Designer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3360\" data-end=\"3553\"\u003eThese fans are an archetype of what Italian designer \u003cstrong data-start=\"3413\" data-end=\"3436\"\u003eAchille Castiglioni\u003c\/strong\u003e called \u003cem data-start=\"3444\" data-end=\"3462\"\u003eanonymous design\u003c\/em\u003e—forms without a single known author, perfected through generations of use and necessity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3555\" data-end=\"3845\"\u003eCastiglioni believed that anonymous design, born from collective wisdom rather than individual ambition, often surpassed authored design in both function and beauty.\u003cbr data-start=\"3720\" data-end=\"3723\"\u003eIn that sense, the \u003cem data-start=\"3742\" data-end=\"3750\"\u003euchiwa\u003c\/em\u003e is a masterpiece of the vernacular: an object honed not by innovation, but by understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Another Country","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47680047284475,"sku":null,"price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0747\/2064\/1275\/files\/Rikawasha-Fan-Black.jpg?v=1762446282","url":"https:\/\/inanothercountry.co\/products\/kurikawa-shoten-shomaru-uchiwa-fan-red-copy","provider":"Another Country","version":"1.0","type":"link"}