From magical births to bamboo princesses, this whimsical (and slightly spooky) folk tale exhibit at the Hotel Gajoen is well worth climbing its Hyakudan Kaidan (hundred step staircase) to see! The lavishly decorated rooms (each painted by a different famous master) are the perfect setting for the traditional arts on display, and each room has a different “Fairy Tale” theme.
From the bottom of the stairs to the top…
The Tale of the Bamboo Princess—who descended from the moon and was discovered inside a piece of big bamboo by an old woodcutter—is the theme of the first room, which is furnished with fabulous examples of traditional bamboo cutwork, illuminated from within.
Just look at these beauties up close! (And imagine what kind of mad skillz it would take to carve such detailed designs in hunks of timber bamboo…)
The Magical Birth of Abe no Seimei—a powerful mystic born in the tenth century whose mother was reputedly a fox spirit—sets up camp in the second room, and its dramatic scene fits perfectly with the gold-leafed murals of Heian nobles. (Check out the shadow of the fox mother behind the screen!)
The Carp Who Climbed The Waterfall and became a dragon is the classic Boys’ Day story that’s brought to life in the next room, where dramatic landscapes painted on the walls and ceiling frame grand ikebana pieces and a stunning dragon painting.
But it’s actually the lowly carp that captivated me in this room, in the form of these fun paper sculptures hanging from the ceiling…
and these detailed cut-paper lanterns with a fishy motif.
In the room devoted to Fantastical Beasts, there was a charming salamander zoo…
gourds carved with nine-tailed foxes…
and magical glass goldfish.
A Tale of Good and Evil was all about judgmental cats sitting on roof tiles to ward off bad luck…
a team of demons riding a dragon…
and all-seeing fox masks keeping watch.
In a rather delightful hallway interlude, Japanese yōkai monsters are represented by these creepy fūrin bells…
The Forbidden Parlor: The Bush Warbler’s Song is the story of a man who was invited into the mansion of a beautiful woman and told he could explore every room but one and—you guessed it—everything vanished when he did. The lovely handicrafts featured in this room all have bird and flower motifs, like these plum blossom projecting lamps…
and this extravagant display of the handmade silk flowers used in traditional hair ornaments…
but my favorite were this assortment of exquisite cut-paper origami pieces representing the four seasons. Spring and summer in this one…
and you see why I couldn’t leave out autumn!
The final room rather abstractly represents The Feathered Robe of the Heavenly Maiden—the story of a swan maiden who was captured by a man who took her robe of feathers while she was bathing—but it’s fun to look at even if the deeper symbolism of the cadre of dandelion puffs and shroom-like lamps remain a mystery.
One of the great things about going to an exhibit at the Hotel Gajoen’s Hundred Steps is access to their gift shop, which often sells pieces by the artists on exhibit, as well as excellent examples of Japanese crafts and souvenirs. For example, how great is it that you can bring home some of these cut paper fish?
If you’re in Tokyo, go see this QUICK before it closes on September 23, 2024!
Fairy Tale at the Hotel Gajoen
Open: Every day until September 23, 2024
Hours: 11:00 – 18:00 (last entry 17:30)
Admission: Adults ¥1600
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Oh my goodness. D😍Sent from my iPhone
Wow, these are fantastic! Thanks for sharing them.
Interesting to see some motifs used in sashiko on the carved bamboo and other places.
Thank you ! THAT is the connection I was trying to make. The patterns ARE the same as sashiko. I kept thinking origami paper (no) or traditional chiyogami patterns (no), but you are 100% right—the carved bamboo lights are really similar to sashiko! (Speaking of which, a new friend was investigating putting together a quilter/sewist tour of Japan and when I started ferreting about Tokyo on her behalf, I discovered deep pockets of sashiko supplies, patterns, and kits galore. Who knew?)