Shofuso was constructed for the Museum of Modern Art in New York as the third installment of “The House in the Museum Garden” outdoor exhibition in 1954. Shofuso is an example of a traditional Shoin-zukuri style with a garden. Shofuso was designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura, constructed by Heizaemon Ito XI, and the landscape and garden were designed and installed by Tansai Sano. The original Fusuma was painted by Higashiyama Kaii, a Living National Treasure in Japan. The Shofuso project was directed by Arthur Drexler, with Philip C. Johnson and George M. Hopkinson as consultants. After the exhibition at MoMA, Shofuso was relocated in Philadelphia.

This video was filmed by Isao Okumura, Miya Daiku (a carpenter who specializes in traditional Japanese architecture) who was selected to lead Shofuso’s construction on-site in New York and Philadelphia.

Japanese Exhibition House, MoMA Digital Archive: https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/2711