Legend has it said that in ancient Japan, books acted as both barriers and vessels - barriers that separated the sacred and the profane, and vessels capable of housing spirits - for that books were collections of incontrovertible wisdom and persistent emotions.

Although almost a lost tradition, books were tied and hung up in temples with red-dyed stiff rice paper cords (mizuhiki) to contain spirits - of which when untied were said to unleash a blessing and a curse - a sight to behold at the cost of unforeseen disasters.