1.
shoji door; paper sliding door
A traditional Japanese sliding door made of a wooden lattice frame covered with translucent washi paper. Used as room dividers and exterior doors in traditional Japanese architecture.
障子戸を開けると庭が見えた。
When I opened the shoji door, I could see the garden.
子供が障子戸の紙に穴を開けてしまった。
The child poked a hole in the shoji door's paper.
古い旅館の障子戸から柔らかい光が差し込んでいた。
Soft light was streaming in through the shoji doors of the old inn.
A compound of 障子 (shoji screen) and 戸 (door). While 障子 alone often refers to the same thing, 障子戸 specifically emphasizes its function as a door (opening/closing to enter/exit). The translucent paper allows soft, diffused light to pass through while providing privacy.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 障子戸を開ける — to open the shoji door
- 障子戸を閉める — to close the shoji door
- 障子戸の張り替え — re-papering of shoji doors
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
Shoji doors are a defining feature of traditional Japanese houses (和室). The paper is typically replaced annually, often at year-end cleaning (大掃除). In modern homes, glass or acrylic panels sometimes replace the traditional 和紙.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 障子 — shoji (the screen/panel itself, often used interchangeably)
- 襖 — fusuma (opaque sliding door, thicker and painted, used between rooms)
- 引き戸 — sliding door (general term for any sliding door)