Austrian castle reveals centuries-old Japanese screen
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In Austria, experts at Schloss Eggenberg discovered a Japanese folding screen hidden within the castle walls and brought its scenes to life with new technology.
In the 17th century, the Eggenberg family purchased the screen, disassembled it, and integrated its panels into the castle’s structure, where the artwork unexpectedly survived. The screen depicts life in Osaka, Japan around 1600, showing scenes of boat travel, falconry, tea ceremonies, and elaborate processions. Researchers recreated the screen as a digital installation.
Visitors can now point a smartphone at the replica to activate animations of the scenes, such as fishermen casting lines and horses moving. Ursula Plassnik, former Austrian Foreign Minister, championed the project, noting the screen’s captivating, fairytale-like quality. The screen’s digital replica first appeared at the World Expo in Osaka in 2025, where over one million people viewed it. The Universalmuseum Joanneum then partnered with Kansai University in Osaka, Japan, to further research and understand the artwork.
Experts consider the Osaka screen one of the most valuable pieces of Japanese art in Austria, and it is now on display at Schloss Eggenberg.
