Washi: Japan’s Living Paper Tradition
Washi — Japanese handmade paper — is designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and remains in active production in dozens of villages across Japan. Unlike machine-made paper, washi is made from the long fibres of kozo (mulberry), mitsumata, and gampi plants, beaten by hand and formed on a bamboo screen in a process called nagashizuki. The resulting paper is thin yet extraordinarily strong, translucent yet durable over centuries — qualities that make it irreplaceable for restoration work on historical artworks, traditional sliding screens, calligraphy, and bookbinding.
The Washi Making Process
Washi production follows a sequence that has changed little in 1,300 years:
- Harvesting and steaming: Kozo branches are cut in winter, steamed to loosen the bark, and hand-peeled. The outer dark bark is scraped away to leave the white inner bark.
- Cooking: Inner bark is simmered in a lye solution (wood ash or soda ash) to break down non-cellulose material, leaving pure fibre.
- Beating: Cooked fibre is beaten by hand or with a wooden mallet until individual fibres separate completely. This stage determines the paper’s texture and strength.
- Sheet formation (nagashizuki): Fibre is suspended in water with a natural formation agent (neri, from the roots of tororo-aoi) that slows drainage and allows the papermaker to rock the screen rhythmically, building up layers of fibre in multiple directions for strength.
- Drying: Wet sheets are pressed, then brushed onto wooden boards or heated drying walls and left to dry naturally.
Major Washi Regions
Echizen Washi, Fukui: Japan’s largest washi production area, making paper for over 1,500 years. The Imadate district of Echizen city contains dozens of working paper studios and the Paper Culture Museum (Udatsu no Machinarami) with demonstrations and a hands-on papermaking experience.
Mino Washi, Gifu: Another of Japan’s “three great washi” alongside Echizen and Tosa. Mino’s Uだつ paper town district preserves the historic streetscape of the washi merchants alongside working studios.
Tosa Washi, Kochi: High-quality paper used for restoration of national treasures and for calligraphy. The Ino Paper Museum near Kochi offers full production demonstrations and a hands-on workshop.
Ogawa Washi, Saitama: One of Japan’s most accessible washi experiences for day-trippers from Tokyo. Ogawa and neighbouring Higashi-Chichibu are 90 minutes by train and offer afternoon papermaking workshops at multiple studios.
Washi Applications
Washi’s uses span the traditional and contemporary. Traditional applications include shoji screen paper, fusuma sliding door panels, lanterns (andon), origami paper, and the preservation of historical paintings and books. Contemporary applications include fashion (washi fabric), interior design (washi wallpaper), and digital printing (specialised inkjet washi). Itajime washi — folded and dyed washi — has experienced a revival among designers as gift wrapping and stationery.