What Are Hanging Scrolls?
In Japan, hanging scrolls (Kakejiku) have been displayed in homes, temples, and tea rooms for centuries. They are more than decorations. The subject of a scroll often reflects the season, a special occasion, or the atmosphere one wishes to create.
Hanging scrolls can be grouped into several categories according to their purpose:
- Jōjikake (All-season scrolls): Scrolls suitable for display throughout the year, regardless of the season.
- Keijikake (Celebratory scrolls): Displayed on joyful occasions such as New Year’s celebrations, weddings, the birth of a child, milestone birthdays, or moving into a new home.
- Butsujikake (Buddhist scrolls): Used for Buddhist ceremonies and observances. Their subjects and forms vary according to Buddhist traditions and sects.
- Kisetsukake (Seasonal scrolls): Scrolls that reflect Japan’s changing seasons, from cherry blossoms in spring and waterfalls in summer to autumn leaves and snowy landscapes in winter. Since the seasons change gradually, there are many different subjects to enjoy throughout the year.
Seasonal Scrolls in Practice
There is a lovely custom of displaying seasonal scrolls shortly before their subjects reach their peak. Once the season has passed, the scroll is replaced with another. The timing depends on the subject and the occasion, but the idea is to enjoy the anticipation of the coming season.
Seasonal themes are also important in the tea ceremony, where a hanging scroll or a few words of calligraphy can help establish the atmosphere of a gathering.
My grandfather had his own way of enjoying the seasons. He called it “Gyakugake,” meaning the display of a scroll depicting the opposite season. On hot, humid summer days, he would sometimes hang a snowy landscape. For him, it was not simply a painting. It was a way of inviting a sense of coolness into the room, if only through the imagination.
How Often Should You Change a Scroll?
Hanging scrolls are traditionally changed rather than left on display indefinitely. Prolonged exposure to sunlight, heat, humidity, and dust can damage the paper, silk, and pigments.
Some people prefer to change their scrolls every couple of weeks. Museums also limit display periods for conservation reasons, although the appropriate length varies according to the condition and materials of each work.
However, rolling and unrolling a scroll also causes wear, so frequent unnecessary handling should be avoided, particularly with antique or fragile pieces. A scroll should be handled gently and stored carefully when not in use.
Changing scrolls with the seasons offers an opportunity to appreciate the passing of time. The quiet beauty of this practice also brings to mind the sense of transience often associated with wabi-sabi.
A Gentle Invitation
Even a single seasonal scroll can change the atmosphere of a room. Cherry blossoms, flowing water, autumn leaves, or a snowy landscape can remind us to notice the small changes taking place in nature.
To me, this is part of the pleasure of hanging scrolls—not simply displaying art, but finding a quiet way to live with the seasons.
The photograph shows a work by Sakamoto Gado.
