Folding fans originated in Japan and are used for cooling, dance, weapons, and decoration. They evolved into thin slats of bamboo covered with fabric or paper. European folding fans had sticks closer together and often used religious scenes. Japanese folding fans were also used as weapons called tessen. They are sold at festivals and antique shops in Japan.
A folding fan is a portable cooler that conveniently folds into a slim, compact form. While a folding fan may be large when open, it is never wider than a single folding segment when closed. Folding fans are mainly used for cooling, but are also used in dance, as weapons and as decoration. Once brought to Japan as an indicator of rank, folding fans have endured as objects of beauty and practical use in many countries.
This fan design has its origins in Japan, although varieties of folding fans now appear in numerous cultures. Japanese fans were originally made from Japanese cypress held together with thread. Later they developed into thin slats of a stiff and resistant material, such as bamboo, covered with fabric or paper. Modern Japanese folding fans are often machine made with stamped designs, but originally all designs were hand painted on handmade paper.
Over many centuries, the folding fan design was carried from Japan to China and then to Europe. In Europe, the folding fan took a radically divergent path as it evolved in design. European folding fans had sticks much closer together and often did not use a flexible material such as paper. They also used European designs on the surfaces including religious scenes. Although the basic structure of the European folding fan has its origins in Japan, it shares relatively few characteristics with its Asian ancestors.
In Japan, folding fans have had many uses over the centuries. One of the more unique uses was the war fan, which was explicitly used in combat situations. These fans were made of iron and were developed as a secret weapon to be carried in situations where other weapons were not permitted. Capable of providing defense against long-range weapons, such as arrows and darts, as well as protection from short-range weapons such as swords, the iron folding fan is the subject of many samurai legends. In Japanese, this weapon is called tessen, and the art of fighting with these fans is called tessenjutsu.
Japanese folding fans are often seen at festivals and are sold in the most convenient stores in Japan. More expensive fans can be found throughout Japan in antique shops and flea markets. A particularly good market to buy folding fans in Japan is near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo. With all of the history and culture packed into this traditional device, these fans have made for great souvenirs.
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