These noren typically come in one shape — rectangular — but in many sizes and an array of colors, and each signifies an element of the house or building it adorns.

The town of Nanao in Ishikawa Prefecture is known for its Seihaku Festival, one of the events collectively inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016. Some 50 picturesque ...

When you finally locate a set of noren curtains flapping in the breeze and duck inside, it feels a bit like stepping through a portal.

So it is a pleasant surprise to find fresh noren curtains and a regalia of iwai hana (celebration flowers) outside a newly opened store.

The dignified crests adorning various items from Noren curtains to temple roofs are a common sight in Kyoto. These symbols of families and organizations originated over 1,000 years ago. Once the ...

This place is crazy. Duck in under the noren curtains hanging over the front door, and get hammered by a wall of sound, as grill chefs shout loud welcomes while hovering over long line-ups of ...

The wooden displays and furniture design are inspired by the Nihonbashi of the Edo period (1603-1868). Different sceneries of that time are featured throughout the indigo and white noren curtains.

It’s easy to spot Toy Box with its signature red noren curtains marking the entrance. The shop offers shoyu (soy), shio (salt) and miso ramen (¥1,100 each), but ...

This place is crazy. Duck in under the noren curtains hanging over the front door, and get hammered by a wall of sound, as grill chefs shout loud welcomes while hovering over long line-ups of ...