All exuding cool looks to keep you fresh and stylish amidst the humid weather, a single style of Japanese hand fan can also go well with a lot of
Japanese kimono and
Qipao, and they standout as elegant wedding favors, fashion accessory for ladies, and Asian gift or Japanese gift.
Japanese Fans Features and FAQ
Japanese hand fans essentially come in a great variety and have a lot of uses: for ceremonies, dance and theater, ceremonial celebrations, i.e., weddings and funerals, as cooling implements for summer, and for Asian decorating. Interestingly, you can almost easily identify which Japanese hand fan style is designed for or fits a specific occasion or purpose by looking at their frame structure and design, and here on AsianIdeas, our selection largely includes the Japanese hand fans for summer, especially the silk Japanese summer sensu, or
Ogi, which are popular in Japan as Asian souvenir.
If you are looking for authentic Japanese hand fans, you have exactly come to the right place as our Japanese hand fans are exquisite handicrafts of Japanese artisans. They are available as flat fans and folding fans and have a frame of wood, bamboo, or sandalwood, and leafed with traditional Japanese paper or "washi", Saa paper, cardboard, cotton, or silk. We stock Japanese hand fans for men and women, so you can easily shop for them by color and find complementing styles for the gentlemen and ladies at your wedding or party.
Japanese hand fan pouch, and
wood display stands are also available, which make perfect gift wraps for your Japanese hand fan gift, wedding favor, party giveaway, or souvenir. Shop Japanese hand fans cheap or discount when you buy them bulk or wholesale and checkout our wide selection of
Chinese hand fans and Asian hand fans that are sure to grace your wedding and special occasions with a fine Asian style.
What are the Popular Colors and Styles of Japanese Folding Fans for Men and Women?
The most popular colors for Japanese folding fans for men are those which are rendered in solid colors or dual-tone in masculine hues, like black, gray, dark blue, and brown. Among the classic favorite for prints also include the Japanese crests or
mon, dragon, dragonflies, tiger, fishes, like sweetfish or
ayu and Japanese killifish, bamboo leaves, evening scenes in Japan pictured in black and gray, and repeated patterns, like block, latticework, and waves.
Japanese hand fans with cherry blossom prints, butterflies, Japanese flowers, geishas, birds, Japanese landscape, among many others, in soft or dark hues, also never fail to cheer women of all ages.
What are the Types of Japanese Hand Fans?
Uchiwa. Also known as flat fans, non-bending fans, or rigid fans, the uchiwa is invented in China and features a flat, plectrum-shaped or circular frame over which paper or silk is securely stretched. It is traditionally made by splitting the top half of a bamboo stalk. The splinters are then splayed out to create a frame and finished with paper prints, called "uchiwa-e", or silk that is glued on top of the latter. These days, the frames of uchiwa are typically made from plastic.
1Sensu or Ogi. Also known as folding fans, the Japanese sensu feature multiple ribs that are joined at one end with a metal rivet, which allows them to pivot, and they are helped to open to 90, 120, 180, or 360 degrees, by a paper or silk leaf that is attached to their fanning ends. A variation of the Japanese sensu is the
Brise Fan, like the Japanese wood fans, which have slats of wood or bamboo that are joined at one end with a metal rivet and joined at the fanning ends by thin, usually clear threads.
Types of Japanese Sensu or Japanese Folding Fans
Japanese Folding Fans for Ceremonies.
Hi-ougi. Also known as Japanese traditional ceremonial fans or Cypress Fans, they are made by binding thin strips of Japanese cypress, known as "hinoki, with silk strings, the Hiougi is the oldest style of Japanese fan. They are available in two (2) types: Plain white, which are mainly used by priests in Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines; and, with featured prints in fancy colors and five-colored fringes, which are used by the court ladies during traditional ceremonies and Japanese traditional court dances in Imperial Courts.
2Ceremonial Fans for Japanese Monks, which include:
Chukei: This Japanese folding fan flares at the tip when closed and was held by the Daimyo, court nobles, high-ranking samurais, and monks (although Buddhist hierarchy has different models of hand fans).3;
Bonbori: A simple form of the Chukei and is used mainly by Buddhist missionaries.
Onatusen: Designed as a daily-use fan, its head part is unfolded to only about the size of the chukei.
Noh Theater Fans or Japanese Classical Dance Fans
Shimai-sen or Chukei. Also known as Noh theater fans, the chukei is generally held by the shite or waki actors.
Mai-ougi. A ten-ribbed folding fan for Japanese dances, it features thin, widely-spaced ribs and a showy leaf, which distinguishes the Japanese dance fan for a man and woman. Children’s Japanese dance fans measure 26 cm, while for adults measure 30 cm.
Japanese Fans for Special Occasions and Formal Ceremonies:
Cha-sen. Used for a tea ceremony, it is also known as Chaseki-sen and is a small folding fan that is generally sized 15 cm (6 inch) for women and 18 cm (7.4 inch) for men. Used as a sign of respect, it is tucked onto the left side of the obi upon entering the tea ceremony room and is placed infront of the owner when introducing himself, making apologies, or saying thanks. Tea ceremony fans come in a wide variety of designs, including passages quoted from the 100 poems about the rules of preparing and serving tea by Rikyu, the found of the Japanese tea ceremony, emblems of the Sen-ke School, which was founded by Rikyu, or symbols of flowers and sweets suitable for the occasion.4
Kohsen. Non-scented fans used in Kodo or incense ceremonies.
Suehiro Fans. Used for happy events, like engagement and wedding, Suehiro fans' black, lacquered ribs are finished with a strong gold-colored paper leaf. Suehiro literally means tips spread or open, which figuratively connotes auspicious, thus, these Japanese wedding fans are considered one of the customary Japanese gifts for couples and are believed to shower the latter with a happy and rich family.
Mofukusen. This is a black folding fan used in the case of a funeral.
Japanese Summer Fans (Natsu-sen).
Although "natsu" means "summer" in Japanese, a natsu-sen is used by both men and women regardless of the season. They come in a wide variety of styles and colors, measure about 23 cm (9.2 inch) in size for men and 20 cm (8 inch) for women, and feature curved framework wooden or bamboo framework and leafed with Japanese traditional paper, or washi, or silk. Among their variations include:
Kinusen. Japanese folding fan that is leafed with silk or satin.
Byakudansen. Also known as Japanese sandalwood fans, they have strips of sandalwood that is joined by a metal rivet and clear string, or leafed with traditional Japanese paper.
Japanese Decorative Fans (Kazari-sen).
Mama-sen. Also known as Japanese Doll Fans, they measure between 3 to 9 cm and held by Japanese geisha dolls.
Kawahori Hand Fan. This is a 5-ribbed Japanese folding fan with black wooden or bamboo ribs and colorful leaf made of traditional Japanese paper. Typically decorated on walls or alcove, their name "kawahori" essentially means "bat", and was called as such around 1100 years ago because it was said to unfold like the wings of a bat. At that time, they were used only by priests, nobles, and oracles and in court palaces, they were used for writing love letters, passed with perfume to the person who liked it very much, and considered a romantic property.5
The Japanese Hand Fans as an Icon of the Japanese Culture
Hand fans were important in many aspects of Japanese society from warrior to actors and dancers. The very first folding hand fan was invented in Japan during the 8th Century and spread to China by the 9th Century. The Japanese believe that the top of the fan symbolizes the beginning of life and the ribs are for the roads of life going out in all directions.
You can also learn more about the
history of hand fans in China and in Japan, and checkout the interesting features offered or symbolized by your choice of AsianIdeas Japanese hand fans.
References:
1http://blog.japantimes.co.jp/japan-pulse/tag/uchiwa/
2 http://www.saiga-jp.com/gift/handicrafts/about_sensu.html
3 Roberto Mercadante Ch'Ananda: Zen and the Art of Go: The Ethical Aspects and the Unpredictability of a Very Ancient Oriental Game. pp. 60-61. http://tinyurl.com/ctmyn9t
4http://www.kyosendo.co.jp/en/reading/japanese-folding-fans-their-varieties-and-usages/
5http://www.oocities.org/dudeman_japan/types.html
