In Japan's humid summers, people cool themselves with fans that can be conveniently folded away. Large folding fans, or ogi, were first used as symbols of nobility in Heian court rituals over 1,000 years ago. Later, smaller folding fans, or sensu, were incorporated into festivals, the performing arts and tea ceremony, and came to be recognized as works of art embellished with gold, silver and lacquer. Still a part of life today, discover the cooling arts of Kyoto-made sensu through the ages.

Kyoto has a particular profusion of Shinto shrines and festivals. The sacred and ritual objects, and priestly vestments used in Shinto are made in accordance with a 1,000-year-old system of conventions governing laws and religious rites called Yusoku Kojitsu. Discover the dedication of artisans as they adhere to rules dictating the form, color, materials and techniques used to craft divine objects.