Seienkaku Residence’s Secret Architectural Details: Ukigumo (Floating Cloud)

The walls on the second floor of the Seienkaku residence are covered with paper, painted with clouds scattered and highlighted with gold powder. Nicknamed “floating clouds,” they were designed to fade or disappear depending on the light and where the viewer is standing.  

The clouds are entirely unnoticeable when you first enter this room, but if you stand by the window and look back over the whole room, the clouds become visible.