Shoji Window Cost

Hey everyone! Loving our trip in Japan so far.

Slightly random question. Me and my partner are staying in a semi traditional Japanese townhouse and she has accidentally stumbled and tore a small whole in the Shoji Window paper screen (the window is like 1.25m by 80cm). We are going to tell the owner tomorrow, but just wondering if anyone has a ballpark idea on what it'll cost to fix?

Appreciate any info, google hasn't showed much!

That shouldn't cost much.

If it's a little hole within a small pane of a big window/door, typically, one would get a notebook-size "hanshi" that you use for simple calligraphy, which is less than 500 yen per pack. A Japanese local would borrow some shoji paste and renew the paper within that pane him/herself, but I'm sure the host would do it for you. Or you can offer to help. It's tricky, but it would be a fun experience.

So, to sum up, the cost they may charge you, or the cost you may want to tip them, would be no more than 1000 yen even if it happens to be very valuable paper. It happens all the time, and it's customary to exchange all paper every New Year's Eve anyway.

I hope you have fun!

Thank you for the info! That makes me feel less worried about it 🙂