Noren: Traditional Japanese Fabric Dividers
History and Origin
Noren are traditional Japanese fabric items that have been used at the entrances of stores and homes since ancient times. Their origins date back to the Heian period (794-1185), where they were initially used as interior decorations in the residences of the nobility. During the Edo period (1603-1868), they became widely adopted by shops and workshops as a store marker, and were used extensively for protection against wind and sun, and for privacy.
Cultural Background
Noren are deeply ingrained in Japanese society and serve as a sign that a shop is open for business when displayed. They are often crafted using traditional dyeing and weaving techniques, featuring distinct designs and colors that vary by region. This also serves as a means to express local culture and characteristics.
International Reception
In recent years, Noren have garnered international attention, being appreciated for their aesthetic value and functionality. They are increasingly incorporated into international interior design, becoming beloved symbols of Japanese culture.
Current Uses
Today, Noren are popular not just in commercial settings but also in residential interiors. They are commonly used in cafes and restaurants to partition spaces and add decorative elements. Noren are also utilized in events and exhibitions.
Detailed Usage
Using Noren is straightforward. They are typically hung at entrances or internal doorways to softly partition spaces. The height and width at which they are hung can be adjusted based on the size of the area and the intended purpose. Choosing materials that are washable allows for long-term cleanliness.
The Origin and Meaning of the Name ‘Noren
The name “Noren” is derived from its function and shape. There are several theories about its etymology, but the most common is that it combines the old Japanese words “noru” (to divide or block) and “ren” (to be aligned or layered). This reflects the function of Noren as space dividers and their characteristic appearance of hanging cloths in a row. Another theory suggests that “no” comes from “no” (field or outside) and “ren” from “ren” (bamboo blind), implying “field blind” or a blind used to separate the outside.
Differences Based on the Color of Noren
Navy/Indigo Noren
Navy or indigo noren were particularly used by merchants, such as in the sake brewing and kimono industries. There is also a history of these noren being used as insect repellents because insects dislike the smell of indigo used in dyeing. The color of navy or indigo noren strongly conveys an image of the sea, and nowadays, they are often used in fish shops and sushi restaurants.
Persimmon-Colored Noren
Persimmon-colored noren were once only displayed in exclusive locations such as high-end restaurants, banquet halls, and brothels, but as those cultural norms faded, they began to be used in larger restaurants as well. The reddish-brown color known as persimmon color originates from a dyeing technique called “kachin-zome.” Currently, this color is popularly displayed in shops dealing with sweets, tea, and kimono.
Red Noren
Previously, red noren signified “inexpensive eateries.” Red is said to stimulate appetite, and red noren are still widely used in eateries today. It’s important to note that noren with red writing are different from red-colored noren. Noren with red writing are rarely used because the term “red” (赤字) in Japanese can also mean “deficit” or financial loss.
Best 10 Noren Users Around the World
To enjoy Infinite Arrangements with LEGO Bonsai
Vamuss 3-In-1Le-go Bonsai Tree Building Set,Cherry Blossom Tree Building Set,DIY Plant Model Botanical Collection Design Kit for Adults,Creative Gift for Home Décor and Office Art
$25.99
Japanese Noren Navy Blue
This heavy-duty Noren is made from a blend of 10% cotton linen and 90% polyester, measuring 34 x 60 inches, suitable for various settings like homes and public spaces. It’s easy to hang, machine washable, and comes with a 5-year warranty, ensuring durability and vibrant prints.
This door curtain is well-made of heavy material. Hangs very well and the colors are bright and the image is sharp. Very satisfied!
Heavyweight door curtain
Beautiful and vibrant, love the Japanese theme
Beautiful
This a great quality product that I use to provide myself some privacy from the small children of the house hold. The material is a great quality for what it is and the print looks great for the amount of detail it has. I’ve had no issues with it tearing or being difficult to move through. However, I am not the only one that enjoys it. My niece loves running through it when entering my room or being carried through it. She would certainly rate it a 6/5.
Babies love it!
I love the design of this curtain. I bought it to divide one side of my apartment from another, and it does the job. But it's also of surprising quality. The moment I unrolled it I was impressed. The cloth is a substantial thickness, and the colors are vivid. My favorite part is that the cloth is not fully opaque, so when the light is on in the room behind it, it has a lovely glow.
Really livens up a space!
JMBricklayer Bonsai Tree Building Set for Adults 20008 – DIY Unique Money Tree Building Toy, Succulent Plants Flowers Botanical Collection Model for Room Office Decor – Gifts Idea for Fathers Day
$44.94
Japanese Noren Doorway Curtain Ancient Character Fish Tapestry
This 85x150cm doorway curtain, suitable for homes, offices, and restaurants, hangs on doors or windows to provide privacy, protect from elements, and advertise. It splits into two for luck and fits most doorways.
I've always wanted a noren as I am a fan of Japanese culture. Though I bought this one because of its length. I wanted something to give myself some semblance of privacy in my apartment with my roommate.
If the sun is shining on it or its dark outside of the room, you can't see through it into the room, if there is a light on inside of the room you can see in a bit as the Noren is rather sheer, this works for me.
I'd recommend this 5 foot length if you want a little privacy. I also notice how well it keeps the heat in/out of my room, if the apartment is chilly but if my room is warm you can see the noren 'levitate' from the heat exchange.
I really do love it.
BOOZUU Light Kit for Lego-10281 Bonsai Tree – Compatible with Lego Botanical Collection Building Blocks Model- Not Include Lego Set
$26.99
Noren Curtain Tapestry blue
The Narumi Noren, made of 80% polyester and 20% linen, measures 59.06 inches in length and 33.46 inches in width. It’s designed for indoor use, featuring a rod pocket for easy hanging, and is suitable for all seasons. Care involves hand washing only, and it comes in a solid gradient pattern.
It’s sheer but not too sheer. I teach virtually and my dog stays in my home office with me. But as the bathroom where his water bowl is located is visible on camera, I wanted a privacy screen. Kinda weird for my students and colleagues to see my en-suite bathroom. But I didn’t want to keep the door shut if he got thirsty.
Overall, looks great, does what it needs to do. Can confirm it’s a product of Japan.
Sheer, but not too sheer
This noren is exactly what I was wanting--able to be hung in a doorway and looks good from both sides. I was comforted by the Japanese on the package, to be honest. A simple design that is not overwhelming, but blocks the long hallway to the front door perfectly, and is sheer enough to allow light through.
Great for a doorway
Sale! Vziimo Cherry Blossom Bonsai Tree Building Set, Sakura Tree House Model Sets for Adults, 2200Pcs Mini Micro Bricks Collectible Creative for Teens Girls Boys 14+
Original price was: $32.99.$26.99Current price is: $26.99.
Cat with Tree Japanese Noren
This eco-friendly, reusable polyester door curtain measures 33.5 W x 59 H inches, features HD printing that won’t fade, and splits into two for luck. It’s machine-washable and versatile for use as a room divider or decoration.
We really needed a nice, simple, washable entryway cover for the hallway to a couple bedroom. Before, we'd been using these cheap strings meant for Easter and whatnot, and not intended for long-term use (thanks to a few in the household that didn't take it down or find a replacement after Easter). I was grossed out because people walked through these things several times every day and they aren't washable.
So, I found this noran. I love it. For our entrance, it's a tad slim and doesn't reach either side all the way. However, it covers most of the width of the doorway. I used a basic, cheap tension rod to hold it up. It's not super heavy, though it is heavier than something like sheer curtains or thin curtains. It's a canvas-like feel to it, but the printing is really nice-looking. The curtain goes down two-thirds of our doorway at probably about 80ish inches tall from where it's held up at the top. It still looks really nice, is much easy to move when going through compared to beads or strings, and is washable. I love it. I'm very happy. Definite recommendation from me! Also, it has cats. They say (in Japan, at least) that cats are good luck, and walking through the middle of the noran is also good luck. So many of these curtains have cats on them. I can't speak on the luck part of it, but they look and feel really nice, so it works for me!
I LOVE this curtain
Aotonow 1426 Piece Bonsai Tree Building Sets, DIY Plant Model Mini Building Blocks, Creative Project for Adults Botanical Collection Crafts Set,Office or…
$29.99
Pole Type Sea Wave Doorway Long Noren
This 40×180 cm Noren, made from thick canvas cloth, features traditional patterns printed on one side. Ideal for Japanese restaurant and sushi bar decor, it requires a separately purchased tension rod or can be hung by nails or rope.
The product look and feel actually resemble the original ones from Japan
Great quality
I looking for longer one , this is not perfect, but looks fine , before you ordered you need double check the measurements!
good
It is nice sturdy material and lined. I love the designs. Color true to picture. Looks really cheery in my garden. I am very pleased with this product. Easy to hang.
Perfect
Tapestry Japanese noren Slabline (Beige) Room Divider
This doorway curtain, suitable for café curtain rods under 0.8 inches in diameter, features a center split starting 7 inches from the top. Both sides are visually similar, ensuring attractiveness from any angle. It reduces heat and light exposure, enhances privacy, and is hand-washable at 30°C, with an average shrinkage of 5%. Note: It is not fireproof or soundproof, and lacks a center zipper or magnet.
Really love this doorway curtain. Wanted to get something that partially covered view to bathroom from kitchen. Quality is so nice to. I ironed it before hanging it. Bought a thin pressure curtain rod & it is sturdy. Love, love, love!!
Looks great! 🩷
Perfect length and lovely color. Subtle pattern that looks like a solid color, unless backlit. Very lightweight material, which I like for my bathroom door.
very nice
It arrived a bit wrinkled and wasn't waa thick as some other curtains like this.
Nice and simple doorway curtain
great texture，perfect length，love it
exactly what i want
Dark Blue Traditional Painting Tapestry Red Crowned Crane Noren
This eco-friendly, reusable polyester door curtain (33.5 W x 59 H inches) features HD printing and splits into two for luck. It’s machine-washable, customizable, and can be hung by nails, rope, or tension rod (not included). Ideal for various decorative uses.
We recently bought a new home that has an open floor plan. We have a barn-door style door separating the master bedroom from the master bathroom. The toilet / shower area has a doorway with no door and from this doorway the toilet is directly facing the bedroom... yuck. This screen/curtain is the perfect solution! I am really happy with it. I love the colorful design and the privacy it provides is perfect for our needs. A full- length curtain would be way too much for the room. This is enough coverage that even though you can see someone is in the toilet part of the room, they would not be embarassed by someone walking in the bedroom if that big barn-door was not closed.
Since my husband is tall, I did carefully remove the top stitching almost to the top of the curtain so that he can get into the room without ducking down. I bought a dark extention rod that matches the hardware we have in the rest of the bathroom and is bigger diameter than the one shown in the picture which looks really nice. The material is heavy enough to provide privacy while still being remarkably beautiful. It was delivered very quickly. I am really happy with this purchase!
Love it!
Japanese Noren Doorway Curtain
This 32″W x 80″H Japanese Noren doorway curtain is made from linen with a carp design using indigo dye. It can function as a divider, curtain, or decor, providing privacy and decoration. It’s hung by a rod, pin, or thread, and may initially shed color, so hand-washing in cold water is recommended.
Just decided to go for these because I have hated not having some sort of window covering, but also like the light.
(I know the command hooks are ugly - I wanted to get them up and see how they looked and whether to keep them. )
I really like the batik quality. They are lightweight but don't feel flimsy. As other reviews have said there is some slight bleed. I saw one reviewer said to wash them with some vinegar to set them - I think I will do that. I need to press them too They are quite long - my second location for them would've been over the kitchen window but I think they are too long.
The last photo is how they look from a distance/another room.
I also included a photo of the cute note they sent - I may ask them about the vinegar wash.
I'm happy with them - I think they are more interesting than the usual window coverings. I hope they don't fade too quickly.
Finally something cool for the side windows!
Japanese Curtain Noren Feng Shui Curtain
This 33″ wide by 55″ long Japanese curtain, made of polyester, is versatile for use in homes, offices, and restaurants. It splits into two for good luck and is machine washable. The package includes one panel but not the tension rod.
This is a very pretty and well made curtain. It is made from a heavier, textured fabric. It has a really nice 'hand feel' I hung mine to partially close off a laundry room, so the doorway get a bit of traffic. The only thing I can advise is that you need to get a decent rod to support it. I had a cheap rod and it started to bend in the middle from use.
Very pretty and well made.
Bought this for a friend who is turning her basement into a salon. Love all the colors and it works perfect for her office for a little privacy. The colors are vibrant and gorgeous.
Soo pretty!
This is a nice curtain for doorway. It is, however, much thicker and heavier than I expected. The curtain rod has fell a couple of times.
Sturdy curtain
Studio Ghibli Totoro Noren
The NARUMI Totoro-themed Noren curtain, measuring 59.1″L x 33.5″W, is made of polyester with blackout opacity, ideal for doorways. It’s hand-wash only, weighs 8.4 ounces, and features a rod pocket top style. Designed for indoor use, especially in winter.
My 7-year-old son loooooves it! I wasn't sure about the color in the picture, but it was a nicer blue than I thought. It's really adorable and the quality is good. It didn't really have a strong odor either which I liked because I am really sensitive to "new material" smells. Overall, a great buy!
Looks even cuter in person.
I have this hung up to block off my laundry room which also has the garage door and back door. Great to block the view of a messy laundry room and helps block the cold air from coming in when you need to open an outer door. Will definitely buy other seasonal designs
Cute and Useful
Very cute, great quality. It’s not two paneled but there is a line in the middle to cut if you want. Slightly see through, but it adds ambiance for me. Fits my regular sized door and doesn’t come with a tension rod. I’m a big Totoro fan, so I’m happy with this purchase.
Leave feedback about this