Aiming for modern products based on tradition.
”This is made of washi (traditional Japanese paper)?” Nakata had the right to be surprised.
In front of him, colorful hand bags and cosmetics bags were laid out, and on the wall, hunting caps and vests were displayed. On touching them, they were indeed made of paper. It felt strange.
Onao Co., Ltd. makes mainly Japanese paper (washi), as well as Japanese stationery and other miscellaneous goods. Their brand name ”SIWA” is ”washi”(another way to spell ”washi” in alphabets) spelled backwards, but it also means ”crease”. The creased look and the wrinkly texture of ”washi” is reflected in the design of the products.
But, how durable are they? ”We use a very durable and hard to tear ”washi” using wooden pulp as the main material,” said Yoshinori Ichinose, the president of the company. He said that the company took on such a challenge because their policy is to present new things based on tradition, into the contemporary world.
A tearoom made of ”washi”. Visiting the old, and discover the new.
At the end of the interview, Nakata was invited for tea in the ”tearoom made of washi”. The floor and the walls were all covered with ”washi”. ”You see, this is all ”washi”,” said Ichinose proudly. The tearoom was made possible because it utilizes the durable character of ”washi”.
Making a ”traditional thing” such as tearoom with the ”new technology” of applying ”washi” in modern way. This space may indeed be the embodiment of the saying, visiting the old and discover the new.
