The bases on which paintings were mounted on in the castles needed to be easy to work with, sturdy, and protective of the paintings. Fusuma, byobu, and shoji structures were created for this purpose.

Fusuma

The fusuma was a panel made of a wooden frame enclosing thin, crossing wooden strips. On this structure were pieces of paper to support the surface, (usually paper, but sometimes silk on which a painting is upon). The fusuma door often had an outer frame, (usually lacquered black wood), and a metal handhold on a one side, letting the door be used without harming the painting.

Byobu

The byobu was also a panel, but thinner than the fusuma. When these panels were connected, they formed a complex structure of hinges. The outline of the byobu was framed with lacquered black wood.

During the Momoyama Period, the fusuma and byobu structures were widely used by daimyos and samurai (link). During this time, the paintings developed used bright colors, including the gold and silver leaves. These leaves were popular because it was thought that they would reflect the light from outside into the darker rooms of the castles.

Shoji

Another structure built for the Japanese paintings were shoji. They were used mostly for doors and windows, but whether it was used in either form, there was translucent white paper on one side of the crossing wooden strips, (like the fusuma). Using the shoji gives the room a softer blend of light and more relaxing atmosphere.

The fusuma had been used for many years as separation between rooms, and it remained at that, but in the earlier years of the Edo Period , the shoji arrangement changed. Before, the shoji was used with two wooden doors to separate a room from the veranda. Now, a wainscoted shoji was used and with this new adjustment, much more light was allotted into the rooms. But to use the wainscoted shoji, the amado (sliding wooden shutters) was needed. Amado were built on the outer edge of the veranda. In that position, they moved easily to allow sunlight into the room.