Woven Reproduction of Famed Screen Paintings Dedicated to Kenninji Temple; Artisans Took Seven Years to Weave Replica of ‘Wind God and Thunder God’

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Kikuo Hirano, far left, looks at a pair of hanging scrolls, a reproduction of the “Wind God and Thunder God Screens,” in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto.

By Hirosato Nishida / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:50 JST, May 18, 2025

KYOTO — An exquisite, uniquely woven reproduction of the famous pair of 17th-century byobu screen paintings “Wind God and Thunder God Screens” by Tawaraya Sotatsu, has been dedicated to Kenninji temple in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto.

The original paintings, designated national treasures, are owned by the temple.

The reproduction consists of two tapestries, one depicting the Wind God and the other showing the Thunder God. It is displayed as a pair of hanging scrolls, each measuring about 1.9 meters long and wide.

The reproduction was made and dedicated to the temple in March by the Nishijin Textile Industry Association in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto.

The tapestries were woven with Japanese silk thread, which is difficult to obtain today, and thread made from pure gold.

They were made with a unique Nishijin weaving method that requires meticulous, highly skilled craftsmanship. This method creates complex patterns which can only be woven at a rate of one square centimeter per day.

Four master weavers, including Kikuo Hirano, 85, took seven years to complete this full-size reproduction of the original paintings, which was finished in 2015.

The tapestries were dedicated in time for the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

The dedication ceremony was held in the room of the temple’s head priest, where the reproduction was hung.

The president of the textile association said, “Seeing it here, it looks wonderful, as if it’s finally found its right place.”

Hirano, who has been in the field for more than 70 years and was responsible for weaving the Wind God, said: “When I examined the original paintings, I thought the key point was how they depict the clouds. I was able to make mine so that it looks like they’re really floating in the air [as in the original paintings].

Kenninji chief priest Taigan Kobori said that the temple would treasure the reproductions.