Japanese Papermaking

Written by Coral Jensen, previous owner of True Blue Art Supply and Artpaper Inc

In order to examine Japanese paper we need to give credit to the Chinese as the first paper makers. The Chinese invented the process in AD 105. The first record of paper and its conception is attributed to the eunuch Tsai Lun.

Paper by definition is the maceration of bark, cloth or plant fiber which is then formed into sheets. Before the production of paper the Chinese wrote on strips of bamboo or silk. Both had their inconveniences...bamboo was too heavy and silk very expensive. There are records referring to China's many uses of paper in the first centuries after its conception. The paper was not only used for text but for ornamental and utilitarian purposes in homes and temples.

Buddhist monks from Korea introduced paper to Japan. The monks brought numerous manuscripts to the islands at the beginning of the seventh century around 610 AD. The manuscript paper was made from the bark of the mulberry tree. The craft spread rapidly in Japan and by 708-806 paper was being made in forty different provinces. In the eighth and ninth centuries there existed a guild created by the emperor that was known to have the finest paper makers in the country.

“Washi” from the Japanese “wa”, meaning Japan, and “shi”, meaning paper, is a term used today to refer to Japanese handmade paper of any type, traditionally made or not, and in some cases even to certain varieties of machine made papers.

Nagashizuki is the traditional practice of the Japanese papermaker. The Japanese word comes from the verb “nagasu”, meaning “to flow or slosh” and “suku”, meaning “to make paper.” Because of their long fibers kozo, mitsumata, and gampi are the main fibers the Japanese use in their paper. Bast fiber which is the phloem or inner bark of woody plants is used. The fiber occurs in an outer ring of vascular tissue. Bast fibers serve to conduct liquids down from the leaves in the plant, while the inner woody portion of the plant offers support and carries liquids up from their roots. The term also refers to fibers found in cortex and percucle rings of herbaceous plants. Therefore flax, hemp, and jute are also considered bast fibers. In bast fibers most of the lignin and natural gums holding the fibers together have been dissolved and washed away or at least softened by cooking. Another individual trait to Washi is the addition of neri, a glutinous starch-like substance which restrains the seeping of the water.

The purest papers have a glossiness which can harden with age and the life of traditionally made sheet withstands and often improves with age its true qualities only becoming apparent centuries after it has been made. The long length of fiber and the interweaving produces an incredibly strong paper no matter how thin.

There is no bleaching in Japanese papers except by sunlight. Because of this many of the papers are a pale buff retaining the natural color of the fiber. The varieties of Washi are many and their qualities and characteristics are particular to the prefectures in which they are made. These are a few examples of the many varieties of paper:

Amime(Lace Papers) This is a white kozo fiber paper that is made in Gifu prefecture. The paper is a net pattern of holes that is made when a strong jet of water is forced through a screen onto a newly formed sheet. This paper is mostly used for decorative purposes and bookbinding.

Hosho This paper has traditionally been made with high quality kozo fibers. The Echizen area in Fukui prefecture has specialized in the manufacture of this paper ever since the fourteenth century. Other fibers are sometimes added to the kozo in the forming of this paper with true kozo paper referred to as Kizuki Hosho. The best and most traditional Hosho is prepared in the village of Otaki in Echizen. Hosho is a quality paper, thick, rich to touch, strong, fluffy, often creamy white and absorbent, the best paper for woodblock printing as it does not shrink or tear easily.

Unryu-shi The name of this paper means literally “cloud dragon paper” is made by the addition of long, swirling fibers to basic kozo pulp at the time of manufacture. It is suitable for writing, decorative and cover paper. Kawari unruyu made in the Gifu prefecture has dyed fibers added to the base paper pulp. Kinka unryu made in the Kochi prefecture is a silky-soft cream paper with a curdled look which is caused by adding alum to the pulp in the vat. Unryu paper is also available with long kozo fibers plus flecks of gold and silver leaf. Tanbata Unryu has gold and silver flecks.

The Japanese make papers for every conceivable use. Specific papers are made for painting, printmaking, calligraphy, lamps, room dividers, screens, clothing, fans, toys, wallets, packaging, and even floor coverings. In addition to its wide range of uses Washi can have religious meaning as a Shinto purity symbol. On festival days, small strips of paper are often hung from rice-straw ropes as talismans, usually on shrine grounds. In fact, the Japanese papermaking craft itself has many religious ties.

Because of the modernization and industrialization of Japan the number of handmade paper makers is diminishing. Not many Japanese want the laborious life of the paper maker. Many of the paper makers left including those named as “National Living Treasures” by the Japanese government are into their 80's and their traditional methods are threatened with extinction. Even though the traditional handmade sheet is becoming rare, the machine made Washi made from kozo, gampi, sulphite or combinations is retaining quality and permanence.

In recent years papers from Thailand have been gaining popularity. Papermaking was introduced to Thailand by the Japanese and Koreans many centuries ago. There are many factories mostly located in the northern provinces where Kozo is abundant. The Kozo grown in Thailand grows quickly. It is softer than those fibers grown in colder climates and gives Thai papers a distinctive feel. Thailand’s paper industry is growing rapidly. Their machine made decorative papers have revolutionized the market by supplying a vast array of reasonably priced, traditional oriental styles that can be used in many different creative processes.

1. Timothy Barrett, Japanese Papermaking, ISBN:0-8348-0255-4
2. Dard Hunter, Papermaking: The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft, ISBN:0-486-23619-6
3. Silvie Turner, Which Paper, ISBN:1-55821-312-0