Curtain - ka-ten (English spelling) curtain

Japanese: カーテン - かーてん（英語表記）curtain

A curtain hung to cover windows and entrances and to divide rooms. It is used for purposes such as adjusting sunlight, providing privacy, keeping out the heat, keeping warm, and soundproofing, but it also plays a major role as interior decoration, softening the hard feeling of glass and walls and enriching colors. With the spread of Western-style living, it has become an important interior element. Examples of this include the blinds and draperies used in old Japanese homes, as well as fabrics used in conjunction with blinds. Before glass was used in windows, curtains were indispensable for surrounding a home.

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kinds

Depending on the purpose and material, they are divided into (1) blackout curtains, (2) heavy curtains, (3) thin curtains, and (4) lace and casement curtains. Blackout curtains are used only to block light, and are used in darkrooms. Heavy curtains are usually called drapes. They are suitable for blocking out light, keeping warm, and dividing rooms, as they have thick threads and a dense weave. They are often hung in layers with lace curtains. Light curtains come in prints, creton fabrics, and plain twill weaves, and are widely used to regulate light. Lace is a thin, see-through fabric. Casement (coarse-weave curtains) are thick lace curtains, and were born in the climate of Northern Europe. All of them are light, reduce external light, and are visible from the inside of the room but not visible from the outside, so they are used throughout the four seasons. They are made from linen and cotton blends as well as synthetic fibers.

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function

Curtains, when used appropriately, can reduce the heating and cooling load of a room by about 10-15%. For this reason, they have recently been attracting attention from the perspective of energy conservation. Curtains also have the effect of absorbing noise and reducing reflected sound, and their usefulness in softening the sensation of a concrete room is also being reconsidered. Furthermore, following amendments to the Fire Service Act, the use of flame-retardant curtains (those made from flame-resistant or flame-retardant fibers that meet flame-retardant standards and have a certification label affixed) is now mandatory in certain buildings such as high-rise buildings and hotels.

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format

The general style is to attach blinds on the outside to provide shade and privacy, then hang thin curtains such as lace curtains next, and thicker curtains on the inside. They can be opened in one direction, both directions, or doubled up with a cross in the middle. The traditional European style is to attach a decoration called a valance to the top to hide the hanging point, and to add tassels or frills to the hem, but in recent times, decorations are often omitted in line with the simplification of interiors.

The beauty of curtains depends not only on the pattern, color, and hanging method, but also on the way the pleats are made. There are various types of pleats, including single pleats, pinch pleats, box pleats, double box pleats, and gathers.

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How to install

There are two ways to hang curtains: directly on the window frame or ceiling, or by creating a curtain box and storing them inside. Metal round pipes or wooden rods used to be used to hang curtains, but today they have been replaced by curtain rails. Curtain rails come in a variety of designs, and all of them have runners that allow them to be opened and closed easily.

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Fabric dimensions

The width should be 1.5 to 3.0 times the width of the window. Usually it is about twice as wide. The length should be about 15 to 45 centimeters longer than the window height. The bottom should be folded back about 10 centimeters, and the gap to the floor should be 3 to 5 centimeters.

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Curtain hanging style
©Shogakukan ">

Curtain hanging style

Decorative curtains
©Shogakukan ">

Decorative curtains

Types of curtain folds
©Shogakukan ">

Types of curtain folds

Types of curtain rails
©Shogakukan ">

Types of curtain rails

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

窓や出入口を覆い、部屋の間仕切りとして吊(つ)るす幕類。日光の調節、目隠し、防暑、保温、防音などの目的に使うが、ガラスや壁の硬い感じを和らげ、色彩を豊かにするなど、室内装飾品として果たす役割も大きい。洋風生活の普及に伴い重要な室内要素の一つになってきた。日本の古い住まいのなかで使われていた帳(とばり)や帷子(かたびら)、および御簾(みす)と併用した布帛(ふはく)などはこれにあたる。窓にガラスが使われる以前は、住まいを囲むためのカーテンは不可欠のものであった。

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種類

目的と材料によって、(1)暗幕、(2)厚地カーテン、(3)薄地カーテン、(4)レースおよびケースメントcasementに分けられる。暗幕は遮光のみを目的とし、暗室などに用いる。厚地カーテンを普通ドレープdrapeという。糸質が太く、織目の密度も大きいので、遮蔽(しゃへい)、保温、間仕切りに適する。レースカーテンと二重にして吊るすことが多い。薄地カーテンはプリント物、クレトン地、無地の変わり織などで、光の調節に広く用いられる。レースは薄い透視性のある織物である。ケースメント（粗目(あらめ)地カーテン）はレースを厚手にしたもので、北欧の風土のなかから生まれた。いずれも軽快で外光を和らげ、室内側からは見通せるが、外部からは見えない利点をもつため四季を通じて使われる。材料には麻と綿の混紡のほか合成繊維が使われる。

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機能

カーテンを適当に利用すると、部屋の冷暖房の負荷が10～15％程度減少する。そのため最近では省エネルギーの面からも注目されるようになった。また騒音を吸収し、反射音を少なくする効果もあって、コンクリートの室内を感覚的に和らげる効用についてもカーテンの有用性が見直されてきている。なお、消防法の改正に伴い、高層ビルやホテルなどの特定の建物での防炎カーテン（不燃繊維や難燃繊維に加工して防炎基準に合格し、認定のラベルが貼(は)られたもの）の使用が義務づけられている。

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形式

一般的な形は、いちばん外側に日よけと目隠しのためのブラインドなどを取り付け、次にレースなどの薄地のカーテンを吊り、内側に厚地のカーテンを吊る。開き方には、片開き、両開き、中央部で交差させて二重にするものなどがある。上部にバランスとよぶ飾りをつけて吊り元を隠し、裾(すそ)には房やフリルをつけるのがヨーロッパ風の伝統的な形式であるが、最近ではインテリアの単純化にあわせて飾りを省略する場合が多い。

　カーテンの美しさは、柄(がら)や色、吊り方のほかに、ひだの取り方によって左右されるところが大きい。ひだの形には、片ひだ、つまみひだ、箱ひだ、二重箱ひだ、ギャザーなどがある。

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