Inshu Washi is Japanese paper (washi) whose two main production areas are Aoya Town (Aoya-cho) and Saji Town (Saji-cho) in Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture. Inshu is another name for Inaba Province, which corresponds to the eastern part of present-day Tottori Prefecture. Among the Shosoin documents of the Nara period is paper presumed to have been made in Inaba, and the Heian-period 'Engishiki' records that Inaba Province supplied paper to the imperial court. In the Edo period it was made in large quantities both as official paper for the domain and as paper for ordinary people. After the war, demand for shoji paper and office paper dropped sharply, and the area sought a way forward by developing gasenshi (calligraphy and painting paper), craft paper and dyed paper. Above all, its handmade high-grade gasenshi boasts one of the largest production volumes in Japan. Because it uses up little ink and lets the brush glide smoothly, it has been called 'Inshu fude kirezu' (Inshu paper never lets the brush run dry) and has long been favored by calligraphers across Japan. In 1975 (Showa 50), it became the first washi in Japan to be designated a Traditional Craft by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (national Traditional Craft).
Origin
The origins of Inshu Washi are not clear. Among the Shosoin documents of the Nara period, paper presumed to have been made in Inaba Province has been preserved. The Heian-period 'Engishiki' (compiled 905–927) records that paper was presented to the imperial court from Inaba Province. According to Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square, the production area is said to have begun when official paper for the domain was made in Aoya in the first half of the 17th century and in Saji in the first half of the 18th century. As for papermaking in Saji, there is also a theory that it is recorded in old documents from the Kan'ei era (1623–1643).
History
In the early Edo period, Kamei Korenori, who ruled Shikano in Inaba, protected kozo and gampi, the raw materials, as trees that must not be cut. The Tottori Domain also set up a paper guild (kamiza) to control trade and supported production. In the Meiji era, bleaching techniques and production methods from other prefectures were adopted, and the cultivation of mitsumata was also encouraged, so production continued to grow until the end of the Taisho era. In the Showa era, washi was pushed aside by Western-style paper, and during World War II the area's skill with kozo paper was valued and it made base paper for balloons. After the war it shifted to calligraphy paper and craft paper, and in 1975 it was designated a national Traditional Craft.
Features
Inshu Washi is made in a wide range, centered on calligraphy paper such as hanshi and gasenshi, and extending to craft paper, dyed paper, paper in three-dimensional shapes and functional washi. In Saji, calligraphy paper made from mitsumata developed, while in Aoya kozo paper has also long been made in quantity. Papermaking is done by nagashi-zuki (flowing sheet-forming), in which the pulp is scooped up with a screen (su) woven from bamboo or kaya grass and rocked so that the fibers build up in layers.
Techniques
Nagashi-zuki (flowing sheet-forming)
A technique in which the pulp is scooped up with a sugeta (screen and frame) and rocked back and forth and from side to side, building up layers of paper while the fibers intertwine. Tororo-aoi is used as the 'neri' (formation aid) that disperses the pulp evenly in the water. For Inshu Washi, it is specified that the screen must be made of bamboo or kaya grass.
Board drying and iron-plate drying
The freshly formed wet sheets are stacked and slowly pressed to remove water, then peeled off one at a time and dried. Drying is done either by board drying, in which the sheets are pasted onto drying boards and dried in the sun, or by iron-plate drying, in which they are pasted onto a heated iron plate. Both are recognized as techniques of the Traditional Craft.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Preparing the raw materials
The bark of kozo, mitsumata and gampi is soaked in water to soften it, and unwanted parts such as the dark outer bark and blemishes are removed.
- 2
Cooking (shajuku)
The bark is boiled in a pot with alkaline chemicals to remove components other than the fibers. For kozo, the boiling time is about two to three hours.
- 3
Washing and bleaching
The cooked material is washed with water and exposed to a clear stream to remove impurities.
- 4
Beating (kokai)
The material is beaten with sticks or a beating machine to break the fibers apart finely. When making colored paper, dye is added at this stage.
- 5
Papermaking
Pulp and neri are put into the papermaking vat (sukibune), scooped up with the sugeta and rocked, and layers of paper are built up by nagashi-zuki.
- 6
Pressing, drying and cutting
Several hundred wet sheets are stacked and pressed to remove water. They are peeled off one at a time and dried on drying boards or in a drying room, then sheets with flaws are sorted out and the paper is cut to suit its use.
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Artisans & Workshops
株式会社中原商店
A washi maker in 河原, Aoya Town, Tottori City. It handles everything from growing kozo, the raw material, to processing it and making paper. Besides calligraphy paper, it also makes washi lampshades and panel screens. 中原剛 (1993) and 中原寛治 (2018) have been recognized as nationally certified traditional craftspeople.
Official site →長谷川憲人製紙
A small handmade washi workshop in 山根, Aoya Town, Tottori City, run by 長谷川憲人, the third generation. It mainly makes kozo paper and also produces mitsumata paper and gampi paper. It makes calligraphy paper, printmaking paper and paper for restoring cultural properties. 長谷川憲人 was recognized as a nationally certified traditional craftsperson in 2001.
池原製紙
A handmade washi workshop in 山根, Aoya Town, Tottori City. It makes handmade washi dyed with plants, and gasenshi for kana calligraphy with astringent persimmon formed into the sheet. It also produces kozo paper with a bleed-resistant treatment that can be used for prints and digital camera printing.
有限会社かみんぐさじ
An Inshu Washi workshop in 福園, Saji Town, Tottori City. Centered on certified traditional craftspeople, it produces handmade Inshu Washi. It takes orders for watermarked certificate paper and original washi, and also accepts bookings for papermaking experiences.
Official site →How to Buy
- あおや和紙工房 ショップ
- The shop of a washi workshop at 山根313, Aoya Town, Tottori City. Besides Inshu Washi, it sells dyed paper, photo paper and printer paper, small items such as shikishi boards and envelopes, and lampshades. Admission is free, and it is open from 9:00 to 17:00. Closed on Mondays (or the following weekday if Monday is a holiday).Where to buy →PR
- かみんぐさじ ショップ・オンラインショップ
- The shop next to the workshop sells large and small sheets of washi, processed washi products and items made in collaboration with shops in the prefecture. Notepads, envelopes, goshuin-cho (temple seal books), gasenshi and more are also on display. Some products can also be purchased from the online shop. Open from 9:00 to 16:00; closed on Wednesdays.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
あおや和紙工房 紙すき体験
鳥取県鳥取市青谷町山根313
At this washi workshop run by 公益財団法人鳥取市文化財団 (a Tottori City cultural foundation), you can try papermaking; reservations are required. The paper size can be chosen from A3, A4 or postcard. There is also an experience in which you make a lampshade from the washi you have formed, said to start from about 300 yen. Experiences are accepted until 15:30.
View details →かみんぐさじ 紙漉き体験
鳥取県鳥取市佐治町福園146-4
An experience in which you form paper, choosing from a postcard, shikishi board, coaster, bookmark or uchiwa fan. Both children and adults can take part, and you can take home the paper you made yourself. Check with the workshop for prices and how to book.
View details →FAQ
Q. What does 'Inshu fude kirezu' mean?
A. It is a phrase praising how pleasant Inshu Washi calligraphy paper is to write on. It is said that the brush glides so smoothly and uses up so little ink that you can write two sheets in the time it takes to write one on other washi. It is said to come from the Meiji era, when mitsumata hanshi from Saji was sold under the name '佐治川名産筆きれず' (a Saji River specialty that never lets the brush run dry).
Q. Is there a difference between the washi of Aoya and Saji?
A. Both are production areas in Tottori City. In Saji, mitsumata has been used as a raw material since the late Edo period, and calligraphy paper and gasenshi made from mitsumata developed there. In Aoya, kozo paper has also been made in quantity, and there are still workshops that make kozo paper and restoration paper.
Q. Has the sound of Inshu Washi papermaking been selected as one of the '100 Soundscapes of Japan'?
A. Yes. In 1996 (Heisei 8), 'Papermaking of Inshu Washi' was selected for the '100 Soundscapes of Japan to Be Preserved' chosen by the Environment Agency (now the Ministry of the Environment). The sound of nagashi-zuki in Aoya and Saji is what was selected.