The name of Sekishu appears in the "Engishiki," a document written during the Heian period.
According to the "Kamisuki Chohoki," a book published in the late Edo period, "during the Nara period, when Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was serving as a provincial governor in Iwami Province, he taught the people how to make paper." SEKISHU Washi (Papers) has been made continuously for approximately 1300 years. What started as a side business has now become almost a full-time occupation, and washi papermaking continues to be carried out using the same techniques and methods as in the past.

• 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 shall be made of bamboo or reeds.
  (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

  Step 1: Steaming of raw materials

  The raw materials are paper mulberry (kozo), mitsumata (mitsumata), and ganpi (ganpi). These logs are cut to a length of about one meter and steamed using the "seiro-mushi" method to make the work easier for a small number of people. This makes it easier to separate the core from the outer bark.

  

  Step 2: Black bark trimming

  After peeling off the black bark and letting it air dry, soak it in water for about half a day to soften it. Then, place it on a cutting board and carefully shave off the outer layer of each bark with a knife.

  

  Step 3: Boiling

  After washing with water to remove impurities, put water in a boiling pot, add 12% soda ash relative to the water volume, and after it boils, add the raw materials while loosening them. Turn the pot over every 30 minutes to ensure even cooking, and boil for about 2 hours. Then let it steam.

  

  Step 4: Beating

  After boiling, the raw materials are carefully washed one by one in clean water, then placed on a hard wooden board and thoroughly beaten with an oak stick to break down the fibers. Here in Sekishu, the basic method is "six passes and six turns," which involves six back-and-forth movements from side to side and six up-and-down movements.

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  Step 5: Kazushi (a type of pickled roe)

  Water, pulp, and hibiscus are added to the papermaking vat and mixed evenly. The pulp is quickly scooped up from the vat and used to form the surface of washi paper across the entire bamboo mat.

  

  Step 6: Condition

  The paper pulp is scooped up relatively deeply, and while adjusting the tension back and forth, the fibers are intertwined to create layers of washi paper. The thickness varies depending on the number of repetitions.

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  Step 7: Discarding water

  Once the desired thickness is reached, any excess water and paper pulp remaining on the bamboo mat are quickly sifted out.

  

  Step 8: Transferring to paper bed

  After the washi paper has been made and placed on the bamboo mat to drain the water, it is moved to the paper-making table. The sheets are then stacked one by one on the paper-making table.

  

  Step 9: Drying

  After that, each sheet is peeled off, and the damp paper is used with a brush to stick onto a ginkgo drying board, which is then dried in the sun.

  

  Step 10: Sorting

  Each sheet of dried washi paper is carefully selected by hand, removing any imperfections such as uneven thickness, tears, scratches, and dust.