Japanese Fans
Have you ever seen a Japanese fan? These are the beautifully and elaborately decorated hand held fans that originated in Japan. These little beauties are made from carved bamboo sticks covered with a fabric or colorful paper with hand painted designs. Normally, it is the women who are seen sporting the Japanese fans whenever they wear their traditional Japanese costumes. They also use it as a tool for some of their traditional dances too. But apart from these things, who would’ve thought that this beautiful thing was once used as a handy weapon. Records show that the Japanese fans were known to be used by the ancient Japanese warriors as well. Using these fans is a great strategy for these Japanese warriors so that their weapons remain inconspicuous.
History of Japanese fans
There are many written records on how the Japanese fans came about but there isn’t one concrete evidences as to its origins. Some legends say that the first Japanese fans originated in Fukoka in 6th Century as there were unearthed wall paintings showing people using the fans. However, the type of fans that were depicted on those paintings were more like the hand held fans that came from China. This only shows that the present Japanese fans that are known today have oriental influences.
There are also a few records saying that Japanese fans were invented somewhere between the 6th and 7th Century as an accessory that goes with a court woman’s dress called akome. And in the But no matter where the Japanese fans really came from, one cannot deny that these beautiful accessories have been a great part of the Japanese culture. In fact, Japanese fans became a great symbol for the country. It is said that the top part of its handle is a symbolism for the beginning of life while the sticks that fan out are the roads that lead to happiness and good luck.
Japanese fans at present
The popularity of Japanese fans these days are rapidly decreasing. This is because many see lesser use for these hand held fans. If before, they became an essential accessory for women as they use it to cool themselves especially during the hot days, now, these hand held fans are just being used during special occasions. Perhaps it is because of the invention of electric cooling systems like electric fans and air conditioning units which they can easily use whenever they feel the warmth of the weather. Their importance were deduced to just ornaments at home or as a part of the traditional Japanese clothing while some only use the Japanese fans as props for plays and dance performances. Sometimes, they were also given as toys of kids or giveaways at parties.
But the good thing is that despite being less useful these days, the Japanese people still recognize the huge role that these hand held fans played in their culture. Even up to this day, they still continue making beautifully designed Japanese fans to keep that culture alive and to pass on to the next generation the beauty and significance that it brings.