Ancient documents such as the "Shōsōin Documents," written during the Nara period, mention Etchū no Kunigami paper.
Furthermore, washi paper has an extremely long history, as evidenced by its inclusion as a crop to be paid as tax in the "Engishiki," a legal code written during the Heian period.
Since the Edo period, washi paper from the Yao region has been used for various purposes, including medicinal purposes, and washi paper from Hiramura was produced in large quantities for use by the Kaga Domain, a tradition that continues to this day.

• Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques

  1. Papermaking shall be carried out using the following techniques or methods:
  (1) By "flowing water" or "bottle water".
  (2) The mats used should be made of bamboo or gauze.
  (3) For the "neri" (fermented paste), use tororo aoi (a type of okra).

  2. Drying shall be done by "board drying" or "iron plate drying".

   

  raw materials

  The main ingredients shall be paper mulberry, mitsumata, or ganpi.

• Work scene

  Work scene

  The raw materials used are paper mulberry (kozo), diphylleia grayi (ganpi), and mitsumata (mitsumata). Washi paper making begins with harvesting cultivated paper mulberry around November, drying it, and removing the outer black bark (kozo takuri).

  Step 1: Soaking in water or exposing to snow

  The dried white bark is softened. In Gokayama, where there is a lot of snow, pure white washi paper is made by exposing it to snow.

  

  Step 2: Boiling

  Boil in a solution of caustic soda or soda ash for 2 hours.

  

  Step 3: Blanching and washing

  Remove the bitterness thoroughly.

  

  Step 4: Bleaching and washing

  Shoji paper should be bleached with bleaching powder or sodium hypochlorite.

  Step 5: Dust removal

  If there are scratches or debris in the fibers, the paper will not turn out nicely, so soak it in water and carefully remove any scratches or debris with your fingertips.

  

  Step 6: Beating

  The fibers are loosened using a breaker or beater. When the fibers are beaten, they are stimulated and become sticky.

  

  Step 7: Papermaking

  Water is placed in a papermaking vat, and the pulp and nere (a type of mucilage from the tororo aoi plant) are added. Using a papermaking screen and a frame, the pulp liquid is scooped up and shaken (nagashi-zuki). The finished paper sheets are stacked one by one (shito). Approximately 200 to 300 sheets of washi paper are made per day.

  画像をクリックすると動画が再生されます

  Step 8: Pressing

  The next day, the water is squeezed out of the paper bed that has just been made, a process that takes all day.

  

  工程9： 乾燥

  The compressed paper is peeled off one sheet at a time and hung to dry on a tabletop or board.

  

  Step 10: Sorting

  Each sheet is carefully sorted to ensure there are no inconsistencies in thickness, and that there are no scratches or stains.

  

  Step 11: Stencil dyeing

  For patterned paper, stencil dyeing is performed (stencil carving → paste application → rinsing).

  画像をクリックすると動画が再生されます

  Process 12: Shipping

  For shoji paper, it will be shipped after being cut.

  

   

• Close-up

  Close-up

  ETCHU Washi (Papers) woven from snow, water, and traditional craftsmanship.

  Yao washi, Gokayama washi, and Birudan washi. In Etchu, three regions have each passed down their own unique tradition of ETCHU Washi (Papers) making. Made in the snow-covered mountains by people who have grown up in harmony with nature, and using high-quality mulberry bark, Etchu washi possesses a dignified elegance and refined style.

   

  Yao Town, known for the "Owara Kaze no Bon" festival, is a village of washi paper.

  Located between the Hida Mountains and the Toyama Plain, Yao Town flourished as a production center for the paper used to make medicine bags for "Toyama's traditional medicines." It was even said that "in the thousand houses of Yao Mountain Village, there is not a single house that does not make paper," but now only two papermaking workshops remain. We spoke with Taiki Yoshida of Keijusha, one of the remaining workshops.

  

  Washi paper made from mulberry fibers exposed to snow is very strong.

  Durable Japanese paper made from high-quality mulberry fibers.

  ETCHU Washi (Papers) varies in characteristics depending on the production area. Yao washi, also known as "Yao folk craft paper," is known for its production of dyed paper, craft paper, patterned paper using stencil dyeing, and processed washi products. On the other hand, Gokayama washi and Hirutani washi are mainly used for shoji screens, calligraphy paper, and publishing paper. What they all have in common, according to Yoshida, is that "due to their history of being used as everyday items, they are characterized by their durability."

  

  The workshop was busy making carp streamers.

  Ancient techniques for thoroughly understanding the properties of plants

  Besides mulberry, other raw materials used for washi paper include ganpi and mitsumata. And essential for making uniform paper is nere. Nere is a transparent mucilage made by crushing the roots of the tororo aoi plant (a member of the Malvaceae family) and soaking them in water. The sheets of paper made one by one are stacked on top of each other, but strangely, they don't stick together. Tororo aoi has a sticky quality, yet it also has the property of repelling itself. Touching the nere, Mr. Yoshida said thoughtfully, "People in the past were amazing. They knew the properties of plants so well. We are just inheriting that technique..."

  

  The texture of "Nere" was exactly like grated yam.

  I spent three years training in dyeing under a Living National Treasure.

  After graduating from university, Yoshida ventured out into the world. He spent three years training in dyeing under Keisuke Serizawa, a Living National Treasure. Serizawa is a dyeing craftsman who creates original works by performing all stages of the stencil dyeing process himself. Yao washi paper is mainly produced in the form of patterned paper, and this experience has greatly influenced Yoshida's subsequent washi paper making.

  Creating patterned paper by carefully applying color to each sheet.

  The patterned paper is dyed using a technique called "katazome," which involves using stencils and resist paste. The process involves creating a design, carving a stencil, applying paste to the areas that are not to be dyed, dyeing, and then washing off the paste with water. The work is carried out one sheet at a time, with each color being allowed to dry before proceeding. This technique, too, has been passed down through generations. Here again, Mr. Yoshida remarked, "People from the past were amazing."

  

  The process of making washi paper dolls

  I want to convey the charm of washi paper.

  At Keijusha, the "Washi Bunko" (Washi Library), an exhibition space for handmade Japanese paper, is open to the public. Various materials and works collected from Japan and abroad by Yoshida's father, Keisuke, are on display. Among the exhibits are works by the aforementioned Keisuke Serizawa. While viewing the exhibits, Yoshida said, "Paper is no longer a necessity of life, but we cannot let this culture with a 1200-year history die out. I hope to convey the charm of washi, which has long been a part of people's lives, to many people..."

  In the workshop, workers were busy making carp streamers in preparation for the season. Vibrant colors were carefully applied to the sturdy Japanese paper. Though small, the sturdy appearance of the carp streamers seemed fitting for the Boys' Festival, which celebrates the growth of children.

  Craftsman Profile

  Taiki Yoshida

  Born in 1952.
  After graduating from university, I studied dyeing for three years before entering the world of papermaking. I run Keijusha Co., Ltd.

  

  Anecdotes

  Gokayama's exquisite traditional Japanese paper, "Yukyu Paper"

  Gokayama, famous for its gassho-zukuri style houses, is also a production area for ETCHU Washi (Papers). The Miyamoto family, the only remaining producers of washi paper in Gokayama, continue to uphold traditional methods from cultivating the mulberry fibers to papermaking, creating their signature "Yukyu paper."
  Starting with tending to the paper mulberry fields in spring, followed by weeding in summer, harvesting in autumn, and then peeling the bark and drying in the snow during winter... Mr. Miyamoto's washi paper making is still done by hand, just as it was in the past. He also uses chemicals as little as possible.
  The pure mulberry paper produced in this way is strong and elegant. It is said that "the color of the ink and the paper will not change even after nearly a thousand years," and it is highly valued for the repair and restoration of temples and cultural properties, such as the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto.
  These are the words of Mr. Miyamoto, a true "washi craftsman" with over 70 years of experience in washi making: "If you take the mulberry fibers that have grown thick in a year, expose them to water and light, turn them into washi paper, and then store it in a place where it can dry properly, it can last for a thousand years or more. I think that's an incredibly tough process. That's the power of nature... It's hard to believe, but I believe it."

  • 

    Because bleaching powder and caustic soda are not used, the resulting paper has a natural, yellowish beauty.