what is a shoji screen?
history and philosophy of shoji
terminology of shoji

Shoji screens have been in use in Japan since the earliest records, and only became widely known to the rest of the world following the opening of the isolationist dynasty in the early 18th century.

Any interior is separated from the outside by some form of material barrier, and the perennial quest has been to allow natural light to enter inside whilst still being separated from the exterior. The blurring of this division between interior and exterior is one of the hallmarks of the Japanese aesthetic. By using an inner, secondary screen to filter natural daylight from the outside into the inside, a room is suffused with sublime light that has been passed through a natural paper filter. On opening a shoji screen the exterior is merged with the interior, while on closing a shoji screen, the interior becomes a private, cocooned space.

The literal Japanese translation of shoji is: “Everything and nothing”, or as translated in another version: ”Some things and Everything.” This might seem completely paradoxical, but on a philosophical level it makes perfect sense. The essential premise underlying Eastern design philosophy is that “Emptiness” should be “Beautiful.” Take away the furniture and associated clutter from a room, and it should still be a beautiful space. This is the essence of shoji: the philosophy of simplicity reflecting elemental honest beauty.

One of the reasons shoji are able to impart such a powerful sense of calmness is because of their balanced and geometrical order. Looking at a shoji screen, the world seems in order, everything seems to be in its place, and this creates a sense of harmony in which life itself seems simplified.

Western interior design is finally moving away from the idea of home as a showpiece and entertainment space towards home as a place for repose and calm, balancing the hectic pace of daily life with a serene refuge. This philosophy of the tranquil and the peaceful is an important aspect of the Eastern way of living that western architectural design has tended to overlook.

The Japanese concept of shoji depends on all parts working together as a unified whole. This is the essence of Zen: the whole encompasses everything, and everything is part of the whole.