襖(ふすま)

ふすま
noun
sliding screen, fusuma
1. sliding screen, fusuma door
A traditional Japanese sliding door or room divider made of a wooden frame covered with thick paper or cloth.
襖(ふすま)を開(あ)けて隣(となり)の部屋(へや)に入(はい)った。
I opened the sliding screen and went into the next room.
古(ふる)い襖(ふすま)を張(は)り替(か)えた。
I had the old fusuma re-papered.
襖(ふすま)の絵(え)は有名(ゆうめい)な画家(がか)が描(えが)いたものだ。
The painting on the fusuma was done by a famous artist.
襖(ふすま)の取(と)っ手(て)が壊(こわ)れたので直(なお)してもらった。
I had the fusuma handle repaired because it was broken.
和室(わしつ)の襖(ふすま)を閉(し)めると、隣(となり)の部屋(へや)の音(おと)がほとんど聞(き)こえなくなる。
When you close the fusuma in the Japanese-style room, you can hardly hear the sounds from the next room.

襖(ふすま) are traditional Japanese sliding doors used as room dividers in Japanese-style rooms. Unlike 障子(しょうじ), they are opaque.

COMPARISON:

  • 襖(ふすま): Opaque sliding screen (thick paper/cloth)
  • 障子(しょうじ): Translucent sliding screen (thin paper that lets light through)

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

  • 襖(ふすま)を開(あ)ける (to open the fusuma)
  • 襖(ふすま)を閉(し)める (to close the fusuma)
  • 襖(ふすま)を張(は)り替(か)える (to re-paper the fusuma)
  • 襖絵(ふすまえ) (painting on fusuma)

CULTURAL NOTE:
襖(ふすま) can feature elaborate paintings and are sometimes valuable works of art, especially in 寺(てら) and historic buildings.

Related Words

Contrast: 障子(しょうじ) (paper sliding door)
core
Added 2026.1.13 10:47 · Revised 2026.5.28 22:11
03500/03908_fusuma