Miyawaki Baisenan
Kyoto folding fans handmade through 87 processes since 1823 — the art of kyo-sensu from Rokkaku-dori.
Miyawaki Baisenan is a Kyoto folding fan maker established in 1823 on Rokkaku-dori in Nakagyo-ku — the historic center of Kyoto's sensu (folding fan) production. Kyo-sensu (Kyoto folding fans) are among Japan's most refined craft objects, produced through up to 87 distinct handcraft processes that determine the fan's form, feel, balance, and visual effect. Miyawaki Baisenan has been producing these fans from the same location for two centuries, working with specialist craftspeople across Kyoto's network of fan-component artisans to produce folding fans for practical use, ceremonial occasions, traditional performing arts, and decorative display. The company was instrumental in the modern revival of tosenkyo — a traditional Japanese fan-throwing game — and continues to produce the specialized fans required for this art.
PROFILE Company & Brand Story
Miyawaki Baisenan was established in 1823 on Rokkaku-dori in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto — the street historically associated with folding fan production and trade in Japan's imperial capital. The company has operated from the same location for two centuries, producing kyo-sensu (Kyoto folding fans) through a collaborative network of specialist craftspeople who contribute to the fan's various components: the bones (hone), the paper or silk face (kami/kinu), the painting (egakare), and the assembly (kumitate).
A Kyoto folding fan passes through up to 87 distinct handcraft processes from raw material to finished object. These processes are distributed across specialists: bamboo craftspeople who split and shape the ribs; paper and silk artisans who prepare the face material; painters who apply decoration using traditional Japanese techniques; and assemblers who join the components into a functioning fan. Miyawaki Baisenan coordinates this specialist network and has done so through multiple generations of shifting craft economics.
The sensu holds a unique place in Japanese material culture — simultaneously a functional tool for cooling, a performance prop in Noh, Kabuki and Japanese dance, a ceremonial object at weddings and formal occasions, and a high-craft decorative work in its own right. Miyawaki Baisenan produces fans for all these contexts, from daily-use folding fans in accessible materials to custom commission pieces in silk with original painting.
Tosenkyo is a traditional Japanese game in which participants use a fan to knock a wooden target from a pedestal, then judge the resulting arrangement of game pieces as a form of aesthetic appreciation. The game fell into near-obscurity in the modern era; Miyawaki Baisenan was central to its revival, producing the specialized flat fans used in tosenkyo and making game sets available to the public and to traditional arts organizations.
Contemporary collaborations — including bespoke design projects for brands such as SHIPS — bring Miyawaki Baisenan's craft into contact with contemporary design sensibilities. These projects typically develop new surface designs or material combinations while maintaining the hand processes and quality standards of traditional kyo-sensu production.
87 handcraft processes — the making of a kyo-sensu
A Kyoto folding fan from Miyawaki Baisenan passes through up to 87 distinct handcraft processes: bone splitting and shaping, face preparation, painting, and multi-stage assembly. Each process is executed by specialists within Kyoto's fan-craft network. This division of expertise — preserved across generations of makers — produces the balance, feel and visual quality that distinguishes a true kyo-sensu.
Two centuries on Rokkaku-dori — Kyoto's folding fan address since 1823
Miyawaki Baisenan has operated from Rokkaku-dori, Nakagyo-ku, since 1823 — the street historically associated with folding fan production in Kyoto. Two centuries of continuous production on the same site represents an accumulation of material knowledge, artisan relationships, and craft standards impossible to replicate elsewhere.
Tosenkyo — traditional fan-throwing game revived
Miyawaki Baisenan was instrumental in the modern revival of tosenkyo, a traditional Japanese game requiring specialized flat fans. The company produces the game sets and fans needed to play tosenkyo, making this near-lost traditional pastime accessible to enthusiasts and performing arts organizations.
PRODUCTS Featured Products & Services
Miyawaki Baisenan Ryoma Fan — Kyo-sensu Folding Fan
A classic kyo-sensu folding fan from Miyawaki Baisenan. Produced through traditional Kyoto fan-making processes across a specialist craft network. Suitable for daily use, ceremony, and decorative display.
View DetailsMiyawaki Baisenan SHIPS Bespoke Fan — Collaboration Folding Fan
A kyo-sensu developed in collaboration with SHIPS. Contemporary surface design executed through traditional Kyoto fan-making technique. A model for how bespoke design can work within the constraints of craft production.
View DetailsMiyawaki Baisenan Decorative Fan — Kyo-sensu for Display
A folding fan designed primarily for display: elaborate surface painting, formal proportions, and presentation-quality finish. Made in Kyoto through traditional craft processes by Miyawaki Baisenan.
View DetailsMiyawaki Baisenan Ladies' Summer Fan — Kyoto Folding Fan for Daily Use
A kyo-sensu for daily summer carry: elegant proportions, traditional Kyoto painting, practical size for bag or pocket. Made in Kyoto by Miyawaki Baisenan's specialist craft network.
View DetailsMiyawaki Baisenan Tosenkyo Game Set — Traditional Japanese Fan Game
A complete tosenkyo game set: specialized flat fans and the wooden target stand used in this traditional Japanese fan-throwing game. Miyawaki Baisenan was central to the modern revival of tosenkyo and produces the definitive game sets.
View DetailsMEDIA Media, Awards & Initiatives
- Miyawaki Baisenan is one of Kyoto's most historically significant folding fan makers, operating on Rokkaku-dori since 1823. The company is regularly referenced by Japanese cultural and craft media as the definitive producer of kyo-sensu — Kyoto folding fans made through the traditional division of craft labor across specialist artisans.
- Miyawaki Baisenan's role in the revival of tosenkyo — the traditional Japanese fan game — has been covered by cultural preservation and performing arts organizations as a model for how craft makers can contribute to the continuity of traditional practices beyond the object itself.