At ART NOMURA, we provide kakejiku (hanging scroll) restoration services both within Japan and to clients overseas. We’ve recently received an increasing number of inquiries from around the world, which continues to surprise us and shows how many people outside Japan also own kakejiku.

Among the many inquiries we receive, the most common is about repairs.

Some clients have purchased their scrolls themselves. Others have received them from friends, or inherited them from family members who treasured them. Unfortunately, due to age, environmental conditions, or mishandling, many of these scrolls have sustained damage. When this happens, owners—especially those living outside Japan—often struggle to find a reliable restoration expert.

Finding someone who can repair a kakejiku—ideally nearby, or at least within your own country—is unfortunately very difficult. It requires specialized skills and can’t be handled by non-experts. Even in Japan, demand is decreasing due to fewer traditional Japanese-style rooms being built, and the number of artisans continues to decline due to aging and lack of successors. Overseas, such specialists are even harder to find.

That’s where we come in.

Since we serve customers worldwide, we can review photos of your scroll and provide a basic assessment and rough cost estimate before you send us the piece.

The following is a real case study from one of our clients in the United States.

Inquiry from a Customer in the U.S.

This customer, based in the United States, had purchased a tiger-themed scroll from a private seller. The scroll, painted in 1917, had unfortunately arrived in very poor condition, and he was unsure how to handle it.

The scroll had severe creases throughout and noticeable stains. It was in no state to be displayed, and the customer feared that leaving it untouched would cause further deterioration. However, finding a qualified restorer in the U.S. proved extremely difficult.

That’s when he found our website and reached out to us.

Rough Estimate

Here is the photo of the scroll he sent.

As you can see, the scroll had deep creases and noticeable staining. Since the client also provided the scroll’s dimensions, we were able to offer an approximate repair cost based on our past cases. Of course, actual pricing would vary depending on the condition of the scroll once received, as well as the type of fabrics and options chosen—but the estimate gave the client a helpful benchmark.

Arrival of the Scroll

The customer was satisfied with the estimate and promptly shipped the scroll to us. Thanks to his careful packaging, the scroll arrived safely.

Upon arrival, the scroll’s condition was within the range we had initially anticipated, which gave us some relief.
In all honesty, as scroll mounters, we never truly know the full scope of difficulty until the work actually begins. That said, the first visual inspection is still very important.
If something feels off at first glance, it often means the scroll is in seriously poor condition. Fortunately, in this case, there were no immediate red flags—so we could proceed with confidence.

During our discussion, the client asked a common question:

Can the original parts like cords or roller ends be reused to save costs?

Many customers ask if we can reuse parts of the original scroll—such as the hanging cord, roller ends, rods, or silk fabric—to help reduce costs.

While the idea is understandable, in most cases, reusing these old parts does not actually lower the cost. This is because removing and reworking old materials takes just as much time, or sometimes even more, than using new ones.

Especially with the mounting fabric, it is often too old or fragile to be reused. Even if reuse is possible, it requires delicate handling and can increase the overall labor cost. On top of that, aged fabric may not look good after remounting.

So unless there is a special reason to keep the original materials—for example, sentimental value or historical importance—we usually recommend using new materials to ensure a clean and satisfying result.

In this case, we advised using new roller ends for a cleaner finish, which the client gladly accepted.

Restoration Work Begins

Once we finalized the specifications and received payment via PayPal, the restoration began. The process included:

Disassembly: Carefully removing aged silk, rods and so on.

Backing Removal: Removing the old backing paper is one of the most delicate steps in the process—especially if the glue used previously was too strong or if the paper has become fragile over time.

Cleaning: Carefully removing years of accumulated dirt to restore the scroll’s original appearance and texture.

Stain Removal: Using specialized techniques to carefully eliminate stubborn stains that could not be removed through standard cleaning.

Remounting: Reconstructing the scroll with the agreed-upon fabrics and features.

Completion

After approximately four months, the restoration was complete. The scroll was beautifully revived.

The deep creases were flattened, allowing the tiger to once again appear vibrant and expressive.

Initially, we had planned to store the scroll in a standard-size paulownia box, but after remounting, it turned out larger than expected. We created a slightly larger custom box to accommodate it properly.

A Grateful Message from the Client

The customer was delighted and wrote the following:

I received the scroll back, what a phenomenal job!

Thank you so much, it looks amazing and I am very pleased with the results!

You’re craftsmanship, care, professionalism, and customer service are admirable and impressive!

Please let me know how or where the best place for an American to leave you all a 5-star review is

He later posted heartfelt reviews on both TripAdvisor and Google.

I purchased a 1917 Scroll in very poor condition from a private seller, who had played with angles and lighting in his seller photos to make it look better than what it was.
I received it with the 3-ply paper surrounding the artwork was peeling and seperating; there were tares and what looked like bug holes; stains; and the main artwork was badly creased.

I searched everywhere for a company who could traditionally remount the artwork, as the integrity of the scroll as a whole threatened to damage the artwork further.
This was a more difficult task than I thought, as American shops that did this were virtually non-existent (I even contacted The Chicago Art Institute’s Restoration Department, who said they couldnt do it to standard but had a specialist in the Philippines who could,…he never responded to my queries)

I found this place online and was skeptical as it was overseas and I was worried about scammers or my scroll getting lost in transit.

Sending my scroll in was a risk, but turned out to be a fantastic decision. The artwork was uncreased, and remounted to my choise of 3 different silk backgrounds, maintaining the integrity of the artwork and making it look phenomenal, all while maintaining traditional mounting and appearence, honoring the original artwork.
All in all it took 4 months to remount, they had constant and clear communication with me throughout, and I am very pleased with the results! 10/10

We were truly moved by the heartfelt review the customer wrote for us. We sincerely thanked him for expressing such passion and appreciation.
Through his words, we also came to understand—perhaps for the first time—the long journey he had taken before reaching out to us.
Reading his message reaffirmed just how meaningful it was for us to give our full dedication to this project.

Final Thoughts

Are you living outside Japan, unsure of how or where to restore a precious kakejiku?

Perhaps it was passed down from someone dear to you, or acquired on a meaningful journey—and now, damaged with time, it sits quietly in storage, no longer able to be displayed.

Even if an ocean separates us, if your scroll holds personal significance, we will do everything in our power to help preserve it.

At ART NOMURA, we are committed to treating every scroll not just as a piece of art, but as a vessel of memory and emotion.

If you are unsure who to turn to, or have been hesitating to take the first step, please feel free to reach out to us.

We would be honored to help carry your treasured scroll into the future.