Ozu Washi is handmade Japanese paper produced mainly in the Ikazaki district of Uchiko Town, Kita District, Ehime Prefecture. It is made on the banks of the clear Oda River using the traditional technique of 'nagashi-zuki' (the flowing method). In the Edo period, it developed under the protection of the Ozu domain as a domain monopoly product. During the Genroku era (1688-1704), a man from Echizen (present-day Fukui Prefecture) is said to have taught papermaking. It is thin yet supple and said to have little unevenness, and it is used for calligraphy paper, shoji (sliding screen) paper and the paper of kites flown in the local giant kite battle. Its paper for kana calligraphy is sometimes described as 'the best in Japan.' In October 1977 (Showa 52), it was designated a national Traditional Craft. Households making paper by hand, which numbered more than 400 in the Meiji period, have declined sharply, and today two workshops are said to remain in Ikazaki and one in Seiyo City. At 天神産紙工場 (Tenjin Sanshi Kojo, a washi mill), visitors can tour the workshop and try papermaking.
Origin
Its origins are unclear, and one theory holds that it is mentioned in the Engishiki, a code of the Heian period. A record remains of the Ozu domain inviting papermaking specialists from Echizen during the Genroku era. Sosho Zenjomon, a native of Echizen, is said to have instructed people in the techniques as the domain's papermaking master, and Korin-ji Temple is said to have a gravestone inscribed '大洲領紙漉師越前国人' (papermaker of the Ozu domain, a man of Echizen Province). Encouraged by the domain lord, papermaking took root as an industry.
History
In the Edo period, it was produced as a monopoly product of the Ozu domain, and a kozo office and a paper office were set up in Ikazaki. In the Meiji period, more than 400 households, including farmers working on the side, are said to have been engaged in papermaking. Its reputation once suffered due to a decline in quality, but in the mid-Meiji period, high-quality calligraphy paper using mitsumata was developed, and it is said to have regained its renown. In the Showa era, demand fell with the spread of Western-style paper, and in 1977 it was designated a national Traditional Craft.
Features
Its raw materials include kozo (paper mulberry), mitsumata and hemp. It is thin yet supple, and is said to excel in preservation and durability. Its calligraphy paper is used by calligraphers across Japan, and its shoji paper has also been used in temples and tea rooms. Taking advantage of its strength, it also serves as kite paper for the 'Giant Kite Battle,' a traditional event in Ikazaki. Senka-shi, a thick paper made of two sheets laid together, is said to be the material for the kamiko (paper garments) used in the Omizutori ritual at Nigatsu-do Hall of Todai-ji Temple.
Techniques
Nagashi-zuki (Flowing Method)
A technique in which water containing dissolved paper stock is scooped up with a suketa (screen and frame) and rocked back and forth so that the fibers intertwine to form a sheet. Ozu Washi is made by hand one sheet at a time with this nagashi-zuki method, using the abundant water of the Oda River. Because papermaking requires large amounts of water, the production area developed along the river.
Gilding Washi
Gilding is a Western technique of decorating with metal leaf. In Ikazaki, 五十崎社中 (Ikazaki Shachu), established in 2008 (Heisei 20), brought this technique into handmade washi. Making use of the distinctive hues produced by the oxidation of metal, it is promoted in Japan and abroad as wallpaper and small accessories.
Materials Used
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Artisans & Workshops
天神産紙工場
A washi workshop founded in 1919 (Taisho 8), which is said to have had 25 papermaking vats at its peak. It still makes all of its Ozu Washi by hand, including shoji paper, calligraphy paper, unryu-shi (cloud dragon paper) and postcards. It is located at 1240-1 Hiraoka-ko, Uchiko Town.
Official site →五十崎社中
A washi workshop established in Ikazaki in 2008. Its founder, 齋藤宏之, brought the gilding technique into washi, and the workshop produces gilding washi that can be used for wallpaper, small accessories and more. It is located at 1620-3 Ikazaki-ko, Uchiko Town.
How to Buy
- 大洲和紙会館 (Ozu Washi Kaikan, attached to 天神産紙工場)
- A direct sales shop for washi products attached to 天神産紙工場, handling items such as hanshi calligraphy paper and hand-crumpled washi. Washi is listed from about 100 yen per sheet. It is open even on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays, when the mill is closed (closed during Obon and the New Year holidays).Where to buy →PR
- 五十崎社中 (Ikazaki Shachu)
- Based at 1620-3 Ikazaki-ko, Uchiko Town, it produces gilding washi decorated with metal leaf and 'koyori washi' devised by 齋藤宏之. These are also made into small accessories such as card cases, offering a way to enjoy Ozu Washi different from traditional calligraphy paper and shoji paper.
Hands-on Experiences
天神産紙工場
愛媛県喜多郡内子町平岡甲1240-1
The papermaking experience, in which visitors make a sheet of washi about 40 x 55 cm, costs 1,650 yen per person (1,100 yen for elementary, junior high and high school students); it is offered on weekdays only and requires a reservation for two or more people. A mill tour costs 550 yen and requires no reservation. A gilding experience using metal leaf (1,650 yen) is also available.
View details →五十崎凧博物館
愛媛県喜多郡内子町五十崎甲1437
A museum with a collection of kites from around the world, introducing Ikazaki's kite culture, which has developed together with Ozu Washi. According to a 2022 article, admission was 300 yen for general visitors and a kite-making experience was 2,000 yen. It is closed on Mondays (open on national holidays).
FAQ
Q. Why is it called 'Ozu Washi' when it is made in Uchiko Town?
A. The production area of Ikazaki was within the territory of the Ozu domain in the Edo period. Because the paper was handled as the domain's monopoly product, 'Ozu Washi,' that name is still used today.
Q. What is the connection between Ozu Washi and the Ikazaki Giant Kite Battle?
A. The Ikazaki Giant Kite Battle, a traditional event in Ikazaki, is said to have a 400-year history and is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Ehime Prefecture. The kites use sturdy Ozu Washi, and Ikazaki's kite culture is said to have developed together with papermaking.