Tsuyama Hakuaishi is a handmade Japanese paper produced in the Yokono district (Kami-Yokono and Shimo-Yokono) of Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, using mitsumata (Edgeworthia) as its raw material. Thin, compact, yet strong, with a smooth surface that does not damage gold or silver leaf, it has long been prized by leaf-gilding artisans in Kyoto and Kanazawa as an indispensable 'hakuaishi,' or leaf-interleaving paper, used in gold-leaf craftsmanship. It is characterized by a slightly reddish, lustrous surface, and is also used for the restoration of old documents and, overseas in Germany and Canada, as paper for copperplate printing and etching. The mitsumata used as raw material is a specialty of the Mimasaka region, also known as a production area of 'kyokuno mitsumata,' supplied as banknote raw material to the Ministry of Finance's Printing Bureau. Designated a Traditional Craft of Okayama Prefecture in January 1981 (Showa 56), Tsuyama Hakuaishi is today made by only a single workshop nationwide, Ueda Papermaking Mill (Yokono Washi Studio) in the Yokono district, which continues this precious handcraft.
Origin
The history of Tsuyama Hakuaishi is said to begin in the Bunka era (1804-1818), when Ueda Choukichi I was commissioned to make official paper for the Matsudaira family, lords of the Tsuyama domain. Since then, for more than 200 years, the Ueda family of the Yokono district (Kami-Yokono and Shimo-Yokono) in Tsuyama City has carried on the tradition of handmade Japanese paper. The raw material used is mitsumata, a fiber softer, finer, and glossier than kozo (mulberry bark), and the Mimasaka region is known as one of its major production areas.
History
Prized for a paper quality that is thin yet does not damage gold leaf, Tsuyama Hakuaishi came to circulate nationwide as leaf-interleaving paper supporting the gold-leaf craftsmanship of Kyoto and Kanazawa. In January 1981 (Showa 56), it was designated a Traditional Craft of Okayama Prefecture. Today, only Yokono Washi Studio continues production, with Ueda Yasushi, the seventh-generation successor, single-handedly making paper that gold-leaf artisans and old-document restoration specialists continue to await.
Features
Characterized by a slightly reddish, lustrous surface, it is thin and compact yet remarkably strong, and does not damage gold or silver leaf placed between its sheets, earning it a reputation as 'Japan's finest leaf-interleaving paper.' Beyond preserving gold and silver leaf and restoring old documents, it is also exported to Germany and Canada for use as copperplate (etching) paper, quietly supporting craft and cultural-property restoration work both in Japan and abroad.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Harvesting and steaming
Branches are harvested around November, when the mitsumata leaves fall, then steamed, peeled, and dried.
- 2
Boiling and water-rinsing
The dried bark is boiled in a kettle to soften it, then rinsed in river water to leach out impurities.
- 3
Beating
The bark is beaten to loosen the fibers, finishing it into papermaking pulp.
- 4
Papermaking
Using a sugeta (papermaking screen and frame), each sheet is carefully formed from the pulp one at a time.
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Artisans & Workshops
上田手漉和紙工場（横野和紙工房）
A handmade washi workshop with more than 200 years of history, founded in the Bunka era (1804-1818) when Ueda Choukichi I served as official papermaker to the Matsudaira family of the Tsuyama domain. Today, seventh-generation successor Ueda Yasushi makes paper almost single-handedly, making it the only workshop in Japan producing Tsuyama Hakuaishi.
Official site →How to Buy
- 晴れの国おかやま館オンラインショップ
- The official online shop handling products of Okayama Prefecture, where Tsuyama Hakuaishi can be ordered.Where to buy →PR