Fuji no Ma

Fuji (Wisteria) Denotes "Welcome": A large room with a suitable name for the State Guest House

The largest space in the Kyoto Guest House, Fuji no Ma is used for European-style banquets and for ceremonial welcomes.
It can seat approximately 60 guests in an imperial banquet layout (with long tables placed perpendicular to the head table) or 120 guests using circular tables.

Highlights

Tapestry: Reika

On the wall is a work titled Reika, a tapestry designed by the nihonga artist Shikami Kiyomichi and woven in tsuzure-ori (polychrome tapestry) technique, depicting 39 varieties of flowers. The dantsu carpet on the floor shows windblown petals from the wisteria flowers depicted in the tapestry.

A photo of the illuminated coffered ceiling in Fuji no Ma. Rhombus-shaped lights have been installed in each delineated section of the ceiling, in shapes reminiscient of three-layered Japanese kites. Some lights extend out from the ceiling, facing downwards, and some do not extend, creating a pattern across the ceiling.

Lattice-like Illumination

The ceiling illumination comes from fixtures created using Mino Japanese paper and traditional Kyoto joinery. Each fixture can be individually adjusted in height, resulting in as many as 15 different patterns.

A photo of the stage with doors open. The doors are decorated with gold leaf

Elegant Japanese Cultural Traditions Take the Stage

The space hosts traditional dance, noh, koto (a type of stringed instrument), and gagaku (court music) performances, offering distinguished visitors an experience of Japanese cultural traditions.

Kirikane Craft Brightens the Stage Doors

The late Eri Sayoko, a Living National Treasure, created this work using gold and platinum leaf. The gold and silver coming together with the beauty of the one enhancing the beauty of the other are used as a metaphor for people coming together at events in this room. The title of the work is Kōru-kōin.

A close-up photo of a screen. Wisteria, chrysanthemums, and lotuses are embroidered onto evenly-spaced strips of cloth known as

Kichō Partitions That Showcase Traditional Crafts

Used to divide a space into rooms or create privacy, the kichō at the Kyoto Guest House are masterful examples of artisanship in kumihimo (braided silk cord), Kyoto embroidery, lacquerwork, and cross-weave silk known as ra, thinner than even sha silk.

For those who wish to pay a visit