Photo= All sides of the exhibition hall display the set of 34 sliding doors splendidly depicting pine trees and other items (Nijo Castle, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto)

An exhibition of the paintings on the sliding doors of the "Ichi-no-ma," the state room where the Tokugawa shoguns sat, opened at Nijo Castle in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto. The elegant space has been recreated in the castle's gallery, and visitors gazed at it with great interest.

The paintings are said to have been drawn by Tanyu Kano and his disciples in 1624, when Nijo Castle was thoroughly renovated. They dynamically depicted evergreen pine trees, a symbol of prosperity, to show the authority and the dignity of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Ichi-no-ma is also called "Jo-dan-no-ma," as its floor and ceiling are raised one step higher than other rooms. To recreate the experience of those days, a 40-centimeter-high legless chair the size of two tatami mats has been placed at the exhibition, and a coved and coffered ceiling is being used. A visitor from Takaishi City, Osaka Prefecture, who came with four other family members admiringly said, "I was overwhelmed by the power and force of the genuine items. I was also surprised to learn for the first time how these items are conserved."

The exhibition continues until March 2. There is an admission fee of 100 yen, for elementary school students and older, to enter the castle's gallery. There is also a separate admission fee for Nijo Castle.