Sudare, made from woven bamboo (Bambusoideae) or common reed (Phragmites australis), are used for sectioning off rooms and as sunshades, and have long been a mainstay of Japanese livelihood since even before the 8th century.

Edo sudare, in addition to bamboo and common reed, have also been made using other natural timbers such as bush clover (Lespdezap thunbergii), common cattail (Typha latifolia), and jersey cudweed (Gnaphalium affine), giving them profoundly natural texture and appearance. The blinds are carefully pretreated after ascertaining the quality and shape of their material before being woven together, but those processes alone require knowledge of, experience with, and a high level of aptitude in terms of what the blinds will be made from.
In the present day, other than their uses as sunshades and for sectioning off portions of rooms, Edo Sudare are also used for interior decorating as well miniature ones being used a culinary apparatus.