Kannon Sui,” selected as one of the 100 best waters in Japan, springs in the Akanma district of Uwa-machi, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture. In this area, where the original Japanese landscape still remains, washi designer Yukari Sato is pursuing new possibilities for washi by taking advantage of the blessings of pure water. By combining traditional handmade washi techniques with digital technology, she has created unprecedented three-dimensional washi works.

From the 350-year-old production center of Ozu washi

Mr. Sato hails from Igasaki, Uchiko-cho, Ehime Prefecture, known as the birthplace of Ozu washi, a traditional handmade paper. Ozu washi is said to have been established in the Genroku era (1688-1704) by the Ozu clan, which invited Echizen washi craftsmen to establish the technique while enjoying the benefits of the clear Oda River. By the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912), there were more than 400 craftsmen, but with the spread of western paper, the number of craftsmen has been reduced to a few in recent years, making it a challenge to pass on the traditional industry.

After graduating from high school, Ms. Sato left her hometown and worked as a model in London. While busy with her work, she was informed by her father that the local handmade washi industry was in a difficult situation.

I knew I wanted to work with washi eventually, so after returning to Japan, I studied design at the Kuwasawa Design School in Tokyo. During my sophomore year, my father’s construction company decided to start a project with the Ehime Prefectural Institute of Industrial Technology to produce washi for construction, and I was asked to participate as a designer.

Feeling a positive response to the challenge of product development while traveling back and forth between Tokyo and Uchiko, Sato returned to his hometown in 2010. In 2010, he returned to his hometown and began to produce washi in earnest in his hometown.

Delicate and light. The Birth of “Breathable Washi

The project launched by Mr. Sato’s father and others resulted in washi made by attaching zeolite, a mineral, to kozo (paper mulberry), the raw material for washi. It is called “breathing Washi” because of its high humidity control and deodorizing functions. Mr. Sato found a way to utilize the characteristics of this paper in interior decoration and created mobiles to hang in living spaces. The idea originated during his time in London. He often saw buildings in London with high ceilings and interiors that took advantage of the blank spaces. The idea of having interiors like mobiles in Japan took shape.

First, a wooden frame is made by weaving twisted Japanese paper threads like lace around a wooden form with studs, and then gluing it together. Zeolite kozo (paper mulberry) is then manually strained into the frame to create the shading of the kozo fibers. This is an original technique that follows the traditional papermaking method while taking advantage of the suppleness and beauty of zeolite washi.

Looking around the workshop, where a huge water tank for making paper is placed, one sees mobiles hanging from the ceiling. The mobiles swaying in the wind are delicately beautiful and have a lightness that overturns the conventional image of washi.

A workshop in a mountain village blessed with famous water

In 2012, Sato moved from Uchiko Town to Akema, Uwa-machi, Seiyo City, where Kannon Sui, selected as one of the 100 best waters in Japan, springs, and opened the Rikuu washi studio on the site of his grandparents’ house.

It is said that the Kannon Sui is said to have been produced by rain that fell on the Shikoku Karst during the Edo period, becoming underground water that welled up from a cave, bringing a blessing of 8,000 tons of water every day to the Akema area where the workshop is located. The water is said to be ideal for handmade washi because it contains few impurities, and it is said that paper making used to be prosperous in this area.

He built a workshop in his garden and created an environment for making washi by drawing Kannon water. Sato’s works fit in well with the home he inherited from his grandparents. Zeolite washi, which is slightly translucent and even fragile, does not feel oppressive, even when used in large objects such as an impulse stand, and creates a light and airy feeling in the space.

3D digital technology opens up new possibilities for washi

Washi paper is being phased out in today’s living environment. However, its delicate beauty, softness, and warmth should remain close to the hearts of Japanese people throughout the ages. With the support of her husband, Tenshi Terada, who is a 3D modeler, Sato is taking on the challenge of creating products that actively incorporate new technologies, such as digital fabrication, as a way to convey the appeal of washi to the modern age.

The workshop is decorated with mobiles, lighting, and interior accessories, some of which are co-created with Ms. Terada. 3D digital technology is used to create three-dimensional washi paper products. 3D modeling is used to create the parts, and the three-dimensional objects are then made using techniques developed through experience.

Mr. Terada is also involved in a project to use a 3D printer to produce Awa Ningyo Joruri (puppet theater) in Tokushima Prefecture, which is designated as an important intangible cultural asset by the Japanese government, and has a deep understanding of the fusion of traditional crafts and digital technology.

He has a deep understanding of the fusion of traditional crafts and digital technology. “Until now, most three-dimensional washi works have been organic in shape and have a massive image, but by utilizing 3D digital technology, it is possible to create lighter, more modern designs,” he said. The range of expression of washi has expanded,” they say in unison.

Mr. Sato comes up with the idea for the design, and Mr. Terada performs the simulation on the computer. The studio is equipped with a 3D printer, laser cutting machines, and other digital fabrication equipment, and a series of processes, from modeling to handmade paper, are completed in the lab.

The difficulty level of handmade washi increases when it comes to three-dimensional paper, especially when it comes to curved surfaces, but he certainly feels that there is room for further exploration, such as devising new ways of placing zeolite Kozo fibers on the paper. Mr. Sato and the washi craftsman with whom he works spent about five years developing a unique technique for coating washi in a mousse-like texture.

Washi paper shows various expressions by adding undulations and twists.

Rikuu’s signature product is “Hineri,” a washi paper lighting system that utilizes digital technology to create joint parts that connect wooden frames using 3D modeling to create a complex design with a real twist.

Sato, who has been exposed to the world of interior design, design, and fashion overseas, brings out new charms in washi with his unique sensibility.

Digital technology as a new tool

Some people may worry that incorporating digital technology into traditional crafts will take away from the traditional techniques. However, we see digital technology as one of the tools of the modern age. We imagine a manufacturing process that incorporates the latest technology into the handcrafted production process and takes advantage of the strengths of each,” says Sato.

His innovative designs, which open up new possibilities for the expression of washi, have been highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad, and orders from hotels and luxury brands are pouring in one after another. He has been involved in a wide range of client work, including lighting for RIMOWA’s Omotesando store, decorations for Louis Vuitton stores in Japan and abroad, and artwork for the InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8.

New products utilizing local materials

While working to integrate with digital technology, the company is also actively engaged in returning to its roots. One such effort is the revival of handmade washi using local kozo paper. In recent years, the company has increasingly relied on Southeast Asia and other overseas sources for raw materials, but the Onikita Senkanshi Preservation Society, with which the company cooperates in the production of its works, is now trying once again to collect locally grown and propagated kozo, which they call “Iyo kozo,” and use it as a raw material. By using unbleached paper in accordance with the old-fashioned production method, the original characteristics of the kozo are preserved, giving the paper a simple color, silky luster, and unique texture.

At the same time, Mr. Sato also paid attention to Iyo Raw Silk, a precious domestic silk produced in the neighboring town of Nomura, Seiyo City. As a result of his search for effective use of cocoons, which are out of the standard cocoons used to make Iyo silk, a product called the “White Camellia Aroma Diffuser” was born, using Iyo cocoons and Iyo kozo (paper mulberry).

A 3D printer is used to create a mesh base in the shape of a camellia, and Iyo Kozo is used to make the base.
The center of the diffuser, into which the aroma oil is soaked, is made of cocoons, the source of Iyo raw silk.

To connect traditional crafts to the future

While maintaining respect for the ancient techniques and materials used to make Japanese paper, Mr. Sato’s challenge is to fuse them with cutting-edge digital technology.
He hopes to continue to expand the possibilities of washi by mixing various materials and preserving the traditions while continuing to innovate.

The post Fusing tradition and digital technology to bring new life to handmade washi. Yukari Sato, Rikuu / Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Senkanshi” has been handed down in the mountains of Nomura-cho, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture since ancient times. This paper has been valued by court nobles and samurai families in Kyoto and Edo (present-day Tokyo) for its toughness made by a unique technique. Kikuchi Seishi is the only paper maker in Japan that continues to preserve this tradition. Today, the workshop is run by Takashi and Kensuke, father and son. In the midst of abundant nature, the one-of-a-kind technique that has been passed down from generation to generation is being passed on to the future.

Strong washi born in a mountain village in Seiyo, Ehime

Ehime Prefecture has long been a center of the papermaking industry. This is due to the abundance of water and the abundance of kozo (paper mulberry) and mitsumata (mitsumata), the raw materials used to make washi. Nomura Town in Seiyo City is no exception. Located in the mountains and blessed with clear water, the town has long nurtured a culture of papermaking.

The history of Izumi-Kanagami dates back to the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1586-1597). It is said that Tarouemon Hyodo, commonly known as “Senkaishi,” invented thick, strong paper by overlapping two sheets of paper during the papermaking process. This strong and flexible paper was useful for a variety of purposes, including sutra books, dyeing patterns, tatami mats, papier-mâché, and folding screens.

This process was taught to farmers, and during the Edo period, it spread as a side job during the off-season. As a way to survive in the area, people harvested kozo (paper mulberry), cooked kozo using a rice-cooking pot, and made paper.

It developed as a local industry during the Meiji period (1868-1912), and boomed from the Taisho period (1912-1926) to the early Showa period (1926-1989). However, demand for washi declined sharply over time. Combined with the spread of postwar paper, by 1968 there was only one paper manufacturer, Kikuchi Paper Mills. Sixty years later, Sadashige Kikuchi, the sixth generation of Kikuchi Paper Mills, passed the baton to Takashi, the seventh generation, and Kensuke, the eighth generation, joined him to carry on the tradition of “Izumi paper.

The tradition has been handed down by the decision of the 6th generation. The only company in Japan that continues to protect Izumi paper.

It is mid-March, a morning in a mountain village still bitterly cold. In the workshop, filled with clear air, were Takashi Kikuchi and Kensuke Kikuchi, father and son.

Takashi is the seventh generation of the Kikuchi family to run a handmade washi farm. When I started Izumi-Kanagami, I was just following in my parents’ footsteps and helping them,” he says modestly, but like his father, Sadashige, he has been recognized as a “Contemporary Master Craftsman.

Kensuke, the 8th generation, left for Osaka after graduating from high school, but returned home in May 2013. Until then, he had worked in a completely different industry, such as apparel, and had no experience in papermaking.

However, the turning point came in 2012. When I returned to my hometown for a friend’s wedding, I saw my father making paper and felt that I had to carry on the craft,” he says, deciding to join the family business at age 25. He decided to join the family business at the age of 25. “I thought I could do it because I was still young, but it was a lot harder than I expected,” he says with a laugh.

After the war, demand for washi declined sharply, partly due to the spread of paper. Many families quit, partly because papermaking was a sideline business to begin with. While everyone around him was devoting themselves to their main business of farming, my grandfather did the opposite: he quit farming and made paper his family business. Without this decision, Izumi paper might have already ceased to exist,” says Kensuke.

Because of its rarity and traditional value, Izumi currency paper is also designated as an “intangible cultural asset that should be recorded and other measures taken.

The secret of the strength of Senka-gami: the art of combining two sheets of paper

The most distinctive feature of Senka-gami is its two-ply lamination process. There are six cells in the bamboo frame for making paper, and the front three cells are covered with thick bamboo screens, and the back three cells are covered with fine bamboo screens. The coarseness of the bamboo screen in papermaking greatly affects the thickness and texture of the paper to be made. The coarse bamboo screen is easy to make thick paper containing a lot of fibers because water passes through well, and the fine bamboo screen becomes a thin and smooth paper surface because water does not pass through well and fibers are easily dispersed uniformly. By making these two types of paper at the same time and then layering them together, the paper is made even stronger than before. The paper is so tough that it is even used for the paper garments used in the Shuni-e (water-drawing ceremony) at Todaiji Temple’s Nigatsudo Hall in Nara.

The materials used are kozo (paper mulberry) and tororoaoi (mallow). Kozo, which has long been used as a raw material for washi, has thick and long fibers that are easily entangled, making it suitable for making strong washi. Neri, a mucilage extracted from the bark of the root of the tororoaoi, also serves as a natural glue. It is indispensable in the papermaking process to ensure an even spreading of the kozo fibers.

The mixture of kozo and neri is pumped into a bamboo frame, and the fibers are entangled and the thickness of the paper is matched through a delicate repetition of vertical and horizontal shaking. This delicate shaking is truly a craftsman’s skill and depends largely on the sense of the craftsman.

It is important to match the two sheets of paper immediately after they are finished. The fine mesh in the back is lifted up, and the paper in the front is made into one sheet by aligning it exactly with the paper in the front so that air does not enter. The matched papers are pressed to remove water, and then placed on an iron plate heated to 70 to 80 degrees Celsius. The paper is then dried by stretching it with rollers to complete the process.

The secret of good papermaking is to let nature take its course. That is the secret of good papermaking.

Although the papermaking process has an image of being done during the cold season, it is now possible to make paper throughout the year by using preservatives to prevent the water from spoiling. However, the best washi is made from winter to spring. Kikuchi Paper Mills draws water from the river, so the water temperature is extremely cold. This coldness is essential to the papermaking process.

The cold water is essential for the papermaking process. That’s why we have to test our patience in the winter,” laughs Takashi.

Although chemical glue is now commonly used as a substitute for Trolloa, he always uses Trolloa when making Izumikurigami.

Compared to chemical glue, the glue is smoother. When making fountain currency paper, chemical glue sticks to the paper unnaturally, and for fountain currency paper, which is made by overlapping two sheets of paper, tro-aoi is the best choice,” says Takashi.

Procuring the tools used for papermaking is not easy either. In particular, it takes six months to a year to complete the delicate bamboo screen made of woven bamboo and silk twine, because the number of craftsmen is decreasing. However, a good bamboo screen is straight and beautiful, and it does not warp at an angle. This is a condition to produce good paper.

It is adopted for the restoration of prints and paintings. Washi recognized around the world

The main demand for Senkanshi is for printing paper for overseas markets. Unfortunately, local demand is low, with the majority of demand coming from outside the prefecture and overseas.

In recent years, in particular, demand from overseas has exceeded domestic demand as washi is increasingly being used in European museums to restore paintings and works of art.

Japanese washi has long been valued for its fine texture, thinness, and uniform weight, but the strong and supple characteristics of Senkanshi paper and its ability to produce different textures on the front and back sides due to the combination of two sheets of paper with different textures are also gaining support.

Kikuchi Paper Mfg. ships as many as 3,000 sheets of fountain currency paper to overseas markets every month. This is proof that Japan’s traditional crafts are attracting attention overseas.

A Mission for the Future and New Challenges

While there is certainly demand for Izumi-Kunagami, it also faces challenges such as the rising cost of raw materials, labor costs, and unit prices. A single workshop cannot form a cooperative, and it is difficult to obtain support from the local government.

Takashi says, “I don’t want the Izumi paper technique to die out in my generation. We just have to keep going,” says Takashi.

Kikuchi Paper Mfg. has begun to take on new challenges while preserving the tradition of Senka-gami. One of these is the development of processed products that take advantage of the wrinkles and debris that occur during the manufacturing process. The company aims to expand its sales channels and create a sustainable system that enables the producers themselves to generate profits.

Kikuchi Paper Mills also accepts overnight farm stays, and school excursion students from Tokyo come to stay for the experience. The high school students make postcards and take them home with them, a valuable experience that they cannot have in the city. The experience of being soothed by the murmuring of the river and coming into contact with the one and only Izumi-Kanagami will be a special time for them. Furthermore, every year, children from the local Nomura Elementary School visit the mill as part of their class, contributing to the learning experience of the local community.

The future of Izumi-Kanagami lies in the passion of Takashi Kikuchi and Kensuke Kikuchi and their challenge to create new values while preserving tradition. We hope that this washi, nurtured in the mountain villages of Seiyo, will continue to attract many people with its strength and beauty.

The post Kikuchi Paper Mfg., a fountain currency paper company with a 400-year history and a unique technique / Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

The Imadate area, located on the east side of Echizen City in central Fukui Prefecture, is a major production center of Echizen washi with a history of 1,500 years and is home to Okata Shrine and Otaki Shrine, the only shrines in the country dedicated to the god of paper. Yoshinao Sugihara, who took over the 150-year-old washi wholesaler Sugihara Shoten in this “village of washi,” is bringing a new style to the world of washi by connecting producers and modern needs with ideas and energy.

The Challenge of a 150-Year-Old Washi Wholesaler

Mr. Sugihara is the 10th generation of a long-established washi wholesaler and calls himself a “washi sommelier. As a wholesaler, his work is not limited to purchasing washi from producers and wholesaling it. He also plans and sells large-format washi as interior decorations for spaces, including products that reconstruct washi in response to the changing times. The company’s connections with local washi producers make it possible to develop innovative products. Each producer has its own specialty. They are asked to make use of these to meet the needs of modern consumers and clients in Japan and abroad. It is Mr. Sugihara who wields the tact. Like a sommelier who selects wines according to taste.

Making the most of washi compatible with home-use printers

Sugihara Shoten now sells washi paper worldwide. Mr. Sugihara’s path to prosperity has not been a smooth one.

In 1988, when Mr. Sugihara returned to his hometown at the age of 26 after working for Kozu Sangyo, a washi wholesaler that had been in business for nearly 370 years, and joined Sugihara Shoten, the washi industry was facing a period of decline. Demand for fusuma paper, which had been rising steadily during the high-growth period of the Japanese economy, had plummeted due to the westernization of housing and the decrease in the number of Japanese-style rooms. Echizen washi, which had previously excelled at fusuma paper, suffered a major blow. Sugihara, who was concerned about the survival of the Echizen washi industry, decided that the survival of Echizen washi would depend on the survival of the washi producing region, and he decided to establish Sugihara Shoten. With this sense of crisis, Mr. Sugihara began to develop washi products in response to the changing times.

The result was “habutae paper,” which can be printed on a home printer. Washi paper is originally designed so that characters will not bleed through when written on with ink. However, it is a fact that the custom of writing characters with ink on a daily basis is disappearing, except for calligraphers. Habutae paper was created by applying a device to Japanese paper to prevent blotting even with ink. The variation in thickness was also groundbreaking for washi. This washi, named after a textile representative of Fukui Prefecture, once known as the “Habutae Kingdom,” was a hit, perfectly capturing the changes of the times with the widespread use of printers.

Hand-rolled sheets of washi paper called “Chigitate Meisho” (tear-off business cards)

After feeling the pressure to develop new washi products, Mr. Sugihara turned his attention to a use for paper that would not become obsolete despite the advance of digitalization. It was business cards, which are indispensable for face-to-face business. Instead of cutting the paper apart from the beginning, he folded a sheet of Japanese paper into a business card by tearing it off by hand. The name of the new product is “Tear-off business cards. Even the edges, which have been torn off and fluffed up, have a washi-like appearance. The traditional “sukashi” technique was adopted in the development of this product, and the folded part is finished with sukashi to make it easy to tear off by hand. Tear-off business cards” have been introduced on TV and other media, and have been a big hit. Today, the company produces not only business cards, but also sheets of washi with motifs of animals, flowers, etc. The “Tchigitte” series has been used for a variety of purposes. The “Chigitte” series offers a wide range of variations.

Lacquer on Washi. A New Encounter of Traditional Crafts

Next, Mr. Sugihara planned to collaborate with traditional crafts. In the Echizen City area of Fukui Prefecture, where Echizen Washi paper is produced, a variety of other traditional crafts are also thriving. One of them is lacquer, which is essential for Echizen lacquerware, and we wondered if we could use it in our washi products. The result is “Urushi Washi. The result of a trial-and-error process, Urushi-Washi has the appeal of a leathery look that has been used for a long time, created by the combination of Japanese paper and lacquer. The lightness of the paper is retained, while the water resistance is enhanced by the lacquer coating. Soon after its commercialization, Urushi-Washi won the grand prize of “DESIGN WAVE FUKUI,” which honors products with excellent design in Fukui Prefecture.

Expanding Washi’s Sales Channels and Possibilities

Habutae Washi,” “Tear-off Business Cards,” and “Lacquer Washi. All of these products are products that have successfully revived a tradition that has lived on in the region and adapted it to modern needs. However, there were many difficulties when they were first launched. The more innovative a product is, the longer it takes for the world to accept it. Mr. Sugihara’s product was no exception, and he was particularly persistent in his discussions with producers. When he consulted with his existing customers, he was told that they were interested in his interesting product but did not know how to sell it. The same was true for Mr. Sugihara himself.

He decided that he had no choice but to do it himself. Mr. Sugihara personally went to major retailers such as Tokyu Hands, with whom he had no previous business relationship, to develop sales channels. He made a number of innovations to make it easier for retailers to sell his products, such as cutting Japanese paper into A4 size, and gradually gained acceptance.

A Fateful Encounter at an Exhibition

Sugihara Shoten is proud that it was able to develop sales channels to some extent and create products that connect washi to consumers. This brought a future to Sugihara Shoten. However, when I looked at the entire washi production area, “washi-no-Sato,” I wondered if I could do something more. For a long time, he remained conflicted.

Then came a fateful encounter.

Sugihara Shoten was also exhibiting at a “craft exhibition” held in Fukui Prefecture. It was a routine stall every year, but a prominent design consultant I met at the exhibition had this to say to me. Do you know that Japanese paper is in demand in architecture?”

Washi paper in architecture?　I had no idea what he meant. When I was at a loss for words, the consultant told me to attend the exhibition. Feeling something like fate, Mr. Sugihara decided to exhibit at IPEC, an international exhibition on interior design held at Tokyo Big Sight, despite his misgivings.

This was the catalyst for a leap forward. He was the first in the Japanese paper industry to exhibit there, and received an Encouragement Award. In addition, Sugihara Shoten received an order for a tremendous amount of washi paper to be used as a building material for Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, which was under construction at the time. Mr. Sugihara says, “I went to the exhibition.

We went to exhibitions, made connections with designers and planners, and started going abroad. What surprised me was their appreciation of the beauty of washi. Washi as a construction material is extraordinary in terms of both unit price and amount used. That is when I rediscovered the high potential of Echizen washi.

All for the sake of enhancing the value of washi

Echizen Washi as a construction material, for which Mr. Sugihara paved the way, is gaining further recognition. Echizen washi was used for the walls and pillars of the Lyon City Hall in France, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium, the lounge at New Chitose Airport, the entrance to Mita Hospital in Tokyo, and the new facility “Eshikoto ” of the Kuroryu Sake Brewery, one of Fukui’s representative sake breweries, where Sugihara Shoten’s Echizen washi was used as restaurant wallpaper. Echizen Washi, handled by Sugihara Shoten, was used as the restaurant’s wallpaper.

Encounters with People through Washi

Sugihara Shoten has continued to innovate as a wholesaler of Echizen washi. While the distribution of this paper has fallen into disuse due to the shrinkage of its existing uses, the company has created new demand through sales at major retailers and in the form of construction materials.

The catalyst and driving force behind this challenge has been the relationships with people he meets wherever he goes. Through Echizen Washi, I want to create a “place” where people can engage with each other in a richer way. I believe that there will be further innovations that will be created through the effects of these places.

A 100-year-old storehouse converted into a washi gallery

The fruit of Mr. Sugihara’s vision is “Washi Shop,” a washi gallery opened on the premises of Sugihara Shoten. The Wagamiya, which was renovated from a 100-year-old warehouse adjacent to the company’s premises, exhibits washi works as interior decorations and art, such as lighting fixtures and vessels, as well as samples of kozo, mitsumata, and gampi, the raw materials used to make washi, and the paper from which they are made. A huge tapestry of washi hanging from the ceiling is also a highlight. Washi items such as “Habutae Washi,” “Tear-off Business Cards,” and “Lacquer Washi” are also available for purchase.

Mr. Sugihara welcomes visitors with hand-brewed coffee and responds to clients’ requests to actually touch the washi and listen to their stories. He is truly a sommelier of washi as he searches for the best proposal while explaining the historical background and transition of washi.

A deserted century-old warehouse was transformed into a place for people to gather through the use of washi. Washi has the power to connect people with each other, and will surely survive,” says Sugihara.

I will listen to various people and try everything through trial and error. In the process, I hope to find something new.

Sugihara Shoten will continue to connect people with Echizen washi and weave a new tradition of washi.

The post Echizen Washi connects people and creates new traditions. Yoshinao Sugihara, 10th generation of washi wholesaler Sugihara Shoten / Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Takasaki City is Japan’s No. 1 “Daruma City

Takasaki Daruma, also called “Toyooka Daruma,” is widely popular throughout Japan. The scene of an elected politician putting black eyes on a Daruma doll at the time of an election is often seen on TV. Most of these daruma dolls are Takasaki daruma, and Gunma Prefecture is a “daruma town” that accounts for the majority of daruma doll production.

Daimon-ya, the home of Daruma dolls, is a long-established Daruma doll shop with a 200-year history. The shop produced a Samurai Blue Daruma doll for the 2010 World Cup.

Entering the workshop, Daruma dolls in the process of being made are crammed into a small space, and they are placed like bells on the floor. In between the Daruma dolls, a craftsman was painting them.

At this workshop, visitors can try their hand at painting Daruma dolls. Visitors can choose a Daruma doll of their choice, and then make their own original Daruma doll by painting on the doll’s eyes and beard while expressing their wishes. The Daruma doll Nakata chose was yellow. He said he was praying for traffic safety. What?　I wonder how I should draw it,” Nakata wondered as he compared his brush with a model Daruma doll, which was a wonderful model.

However, he is not able to make as much progress as he would like because the model’s eyebrows and beard are so splendid. Finally, he finished the Daruma doll with the names “NAKATA” and “JAPAN” and a very fine eyebrow and beard, while stealing a glance at his master’s brush. Finally, the master added the words “Traffic Safety” in green letters to complete the work.

For more than 200 years, the Takasaki Daruma has been watching over people’s well-being. The rounded shape of the doll means “seven falls and eight rises. It is a powerful figure that conveys to the present day the teaching that even if you fall down, you will always get back up again.

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Using the original species of paper mulberry

”Nao Washi” which has more than 300 years history in Saga, is a handmade Japanese ”washi” paper which uses the strong bark of paper mulberry trees. The paper is intricate and has shimmer. Since it has a reputation for being the most durable ”washi”, craftsmen prefer to use it for wide a variety of crafts and interior products such as paper for ”chouchin” lanterns or ”shoji” sliding doors.

During the Genroku era or the late 17th century, Nao was known as the home for ”washi”, but now, Hizen Nao Washi Kobo is the only manufacturing site which has continued the tradition. The ingredient of Nao washi is the original species of paper mulberry tree. Paper mulberry has an especially long fiber, makes it intertwine more, making the paper strong even when it is thin. At Hizen Nao Washi Kobo, they grow their own paper mulberry trees, giving them organic fertilizer.

Nao handmade washi paper incorporating plants

”Washi” production involves the repetition of detailed manual work which consists of steaming the tree bark to make it soft, extracting the harshness by rinsing with clean water, and then manually removing the small specs of dirt by hand. At Taniguchi’s workshop, they put the roots of plants (glue) and fiber into ”the boat”, blend and adjust to make high quality ”washi”, or mix plants like silver grass or flower petals during the process to make art paper, in an effort to preserve the traditional method of making Japanese ”washi” paper.

The post Saga Prefecture Important Intangible Cultural Asset, Hizen Nao Washi (Japanese paper) “Taniguchi Washi Kobo” first appeared on NIHONMONO.