Nishinouchi washi is a handmade Japanese paper (washi) produced mainly around Funyu in Hitachiomiya City, Ibaraki Prefecture (formerly Nishinouchi in the old town of Yamagata). Its defining feature is that it is made purely from kozo (paper mulberry) fiber, without mixing in mitsumata or ganpi. The raw material is 'Nasu kozo,' grown around Hitachiomiya City and Daigo Town, whose fibers are said to grow to a fineness and length comparable to silk thanks to the sharp swings between day and night temperatures. During the Edo period, the Mito Domain's paper monopoly system (established in 1688) made it a key industry, with the domain purchasing the entire output, and its strength and durability led Edo merchant houses to use it for their account books (daifukucho). On December 2, 1971 (Showa 46), it was designated an Intangible Cultural Property of Ibaraki Prefecture, and the tradition is still carried on today by a small number of papermakers.
Origin
The name 'Nishinouchi washi' comes from Nishinouchi, a place name in the former town of Yamagata. Papermaking has been practiced in the mountainous areas around present-day Hitachiomiya City since the early Edo period, using kozo (known as 'Nasu kozo') harvested along the Naka River basin and around Daigo Town. Nasu kozo is said to have gotten its name because it was shipped to Edo by boat along the Kinugawa River.
History
In 1688, the Mito Domain established a paper monopoly system under which it purchased the entire output of paper made within its territory. Around 1790, paper sales stood out even among the domain's product revenues, making Nishinouchi washi one of the Mito Domain's most important industries. In the Meiji era, Kikuchi Gosuke and others studied Mino-paper techniques at a papermaking improvement training institute in Gifu to raise production efficiency. On December 2, 1971 (Showa 46), it was designated an Intangible Cultural Property (craft technique) of Ibaraki Prefecture, and it remains a representative traditional industry of Hitachiomiya City today.
Features
Its greatest feature is that it is made purely from kozo fiber without mixing in mitsumata or ganpi, giving it long, strong fibers. Because it resists tearing and does not blot even when soaked in water, it was prized in the Edo period for merchant account books (daifukucho) and other records. The traditional sheet size is 1 shaku 1 sun by 1 shaku 6 sun (about 33 by 48 cm), and beyond postcards and hanshi writing paper, it is increasingly used for everyday items such as noren curtains and cushion covers.
Materials Used
Artisans & Workshops
紙のさと（菊池正気）
A workshop and direct-sales shop in Funyu, Hitachiomiya City, carrying on a 350-year tradition of making Nishinouchi washi. Kikuchi Masaki, who inherited the family business, makes paper together with his son, and also crafts everyday items such as noren curtains and cushion covers from washi durable enough not to blot even when soaked in water.
Official site →Hands-on Experiences
紙のさと 西ノ内和紙資料館
茨城県常陸大宮市舟生90
A museum displaying papermaking tools and paper from around the world. It holds papermaking demonstrations and a suki-e (paper-craft) workshop experience (1,500 yen, reservation required, about 2 hours); admission to the museum itself is free.
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