Osaka Kongo Bamboo Blinds

The making of bamboo blinds goes right back to before the Heian period (794-1185). Blinds of this kind were first used as a screen inside the Imperial palace and the residences of noblemen, and became the model for blinds which are still used in traditional reception rooms today. With supplies of good quality bamboo available at the foot of Mount Kongo, the making of bamboo blinds in Tondabayashi flourished and led to the establishment of a production center in the area.

Unlike the now freely available bamboo blinds found at garden centers and interior stores in the West, Osaka Kongo bamboo blinds are so finely crafted and they are elegance itself. Whether used as a room dividing screen or as a shade from the sun, they create a beauty and atmosphere so indicative of Japan. Even today there is a need to provide shade from the hot summer sun, and 24 firms employing 280 staff still make these attractive blinds.