About Washi 2
Wa 和 - Japanese and shi 紙 - paper
Washi is traditional Japanese paper made using techniques developed over 1,300 years ago. It is now on UNESCO’S list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The paper feels alive in your hands and holds a quiet integrity and beauty. Grown from natural plant fibers, washi is a truly environmentally sustainable product. Washi is flexible and versatile in its uses, facilitating new creative pathways and encouraging experimentation across a wide range of disciplines.
How It’s Made
The paper is commonly made from three different plant fibres grown in Japan: Kozo, Mitsumata and Gampi. The most common is the Paper Mulberry plant (Kozo). The process involves many steps to get from plant to paper:
Harvesting - Steaming - Stripping, shaving and drying the bark - Bleaching and coking the white bark - Removing dark spots - Beating - Sheet Formation with bamboo screen and wood frame - Drying by sun and wind - Inspecting and finishing.
During this organic process, the fibers are soaked in clear, cold river water, thickened using a gelatinous formation aid that suspends fibers evenly in water (Neri), and then filtered through a bamboo screen. These fibers, painstakingly processed by hand, are far longer than those used in Western paper, making them more durable and resilient. Washi is also naturally acid free, meaning the paper can maintain its original character for hundreds of years. Each maker has the unique opportunity to convey their own personality, spirit and craftsmanship through their paper.
Awagami's harvested Kozo field
Steaming kozo branches at the Ogawa Washi Learning Center
Types of Fibers
Kozo, or Mulberry, is used in 90% of washi. It is known for its very long fibers, giving the paper strength and durability. There are two types of Japanese Kozo: Nasu (Ibaraki Prefecture) and Tosa (Shikoku and Kochi Prefectures). It is also grown in China, Southeast Asia incl. the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. Kozo is essentially a weed, and when it is harvested, will grow back the next year. It is a sturdy plant and grows basically everywhere. Kozo grown in Southeast Asia has a darker color than Japanese, and is thinner and oilier, and therefore is most often bleached. The difference likely comes from water quality, whether or not the water is being filtered through rocks as in Japan; the pH level of the soil; environmental humidity; and the distance between the cultivated plants. Japanese kozo exhibits thicker strands and a lighter color, generally requiring no bleaching.
Gampi
Gampi fiber is rare and fickle. It is almost impossible to cultivate, and needs to be harvested by gleaners. The two most important factors for its happiness are soil and light: it should be not too much light, but not too much shade, and the soil should be a mix of soft and rocky. It takes 7 years for Gampi to reach its first harvest, and after that it can be harvested every 3 years. Gampi looks like young Sakura (cherry tree) when you harvest it, so you have to be very careful to cut down the correct plant! Its original purpose was to hold gold leaf.
Mitsumata
Mitsumata will grow about anywhere. It is easy to identify by the 3-configuration of its branches.
Mitsu = Three. The tradition of using mitsumata as the raw material for Japanese banknotes began in 1879, and they still contain the fibers today, providing durability and strength. Mitsumata tree has beautiful blossoms in yellow, orange and purple and is thus often also cultivated as an ornamental tree.
Uses
Washi is a wildly flexible material to work with and can be applied to many creative pursuits including: Printmaking - Bookbinding - Lighting - Conservation - Sculpture - Drawing - Painting - Mark-Making - Collage - Encaustic - Interior Design - Architecture - Graphic Design - Scrapbooking - Sumi-e - Origami.
History and Future
Although now an integral part of Japanese culture, washi’s roots can be traced back to China. In around 610 CE the technique of hand-making paper was brought to Japan by Korean Buddhist monks who luckily also brought with them the knowledge of ink manufacture. Paper making was traditionally work done by farmers during the winter months when it was too cold to be out in the fields. They planted Kozo and Hemp in addition to their regular crops and took advantage of the clear ice water and bright winter sunshine in order to produce paper free from impurities.
The Meiji Period (1868 – 1912) saw a steep decline in the use of washi, as demand for paper increased and Japan went through a process of Westernisation. Mass-produced paper became the norm and washi was generally only used for Buddhist and Shinto religious ceremonies and traditional Japanese architecture and decoration. Today, only one tenth of the original factories thriving during the 1980’s are still open. However, many craftspeople, conservators and artists are invested in promoting the fine properties of washi.
By bringing washi to Europe, we hope to introduce the paper and its makers to artists, designers, architects and craftspeople who may be unfamiliar with it, but who will find it to be an indispensable source of inspiration, versatility and beauty in their practices. By increasing awareness, we help ensure that the Masters in Japan can continue their craft, and keep the thread of history unbroken.
