Boxed (Japan, Kyoto)

From the interior of a traditional ryokan , the shōji window —a sliding partition made of washi paper on a wooden frame—offers an indirect view of Higashi Hongan-ji , one of the largest Buddhist temples in Kyoto. This construction is characteristic of Shinto-Buddhist architecture , with its wide overhanging roofs and ornate lintels.

The choice of a partial framing by a shōji partition is part of a Japanese cultural reading of space called ma (間) . “Ma” designates the living interval between two objects or moments: here, between the intimacy of a room and the monumentality of a sanctuary. It is not a void but a time/space for breathing , essential in Japanese arts, from calligraphy to ikebana.

Higashi Hongan-ji Temple belongs to the Ōtani branch of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism and preserves one of the largest wooden buildings in Japan.