Edo Sensu Matsui

About Edo Sensu (Traditional Edo Folding Fans)

A Japanese fan of exquisite beauty and color

The earliest written record of folding fans (sensu) in Japan appears in the Shoku Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan Continued), which states that in the year 762 (Tenpyō-hōji 6), fans were granted along with canes to elders who had rendered distinguished service to the court.

Centuries later, during the Genpei War, the fan came to play an iconic role: Nasu no Yoichi became a legendary figure by shooting down a fan bearing the rising sun emblem, raised on a Taira clan ship during the Battle of Yashima. And in another famous tale, Lady Shizuka (Shizuka Gozen), who mourned the absence of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, danced with a brilliantly red fan in her hands, reciting the now-famous line:

“Shizu ya shizu / Shizu’s silken threads entwine again and again…”

From mai-ōgi (fans used in traditional Japanese dance) and bridal fans for wedding ceremonies, to decorative fans for Japanese rooms, tea ceremony fans, and lecture fans, the uses of the sensu have expanded greatly over the centuries. They have become indispensable items for both expressing and evoking the aesthetics of Japanese culture.
Yet, above all, the most common use remains the simplest and most enduring: to send a breeze and enjoy a moment of cool comfort.

Profile of Hiroshi Matsui

Born in 1947 in Edogawa, Tokyo.

Hiroshi Matsui began his dedicated work in fan-making in 1963. He later succeeded his father, Tsunejiro, in the family craft and continues the tradition to this day. His eldest son, Tomoya, is currently training to inherit the family’s techniques.

Awards and Honors:

•1989: Education Committee Award, Traditional Crafts Exhibition

•2001: Education Committee Award, Traditional Crafts Exhibition

•2004: Registered as an Intangible Cultural Asset Holder by Edogawa Ward

•2007: Commendation for Distinguished Service in the Traditional Crafts Industry

•2009: Cultural Merit Award, Edogawa Ward
　　　Member of the Edogawa District, Tokyo Federation for the Preservation of Traditional Craft Techniques

•2014: Governor’s Award, Tokyo Meister – Outstanding Artisan of Tokyo

•2015: Kōgei Prize, 32nd Traditional Crafts Exhibition