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Noren door curtains in the Gion geisha district, Kyoto. Originally,
noren were hung at front doors merely to block the sunlight and the
lines of vision of passersby. Today they have become symbols of the establishments
they grace, serving as advertisements and carrying either name of the place
or some indication of its line of business.
In Kyoto, as in other places in Japan, noren entranceway curtains
are usually of cloth. At this minka-style residence near the Daitoku-ji,
however, the noren is bamboo.
