Uchiyama Paper is a handmade washi (Japanese paper) made mainly in Iiyama City in northern Nagano Prefecture. It is said to have begun in Kanbun 1 (1661), in the early Edo period, when Hagiwara Kiuemon of Uchiyama Village (present-day Uchiyama, Kijimadaira Village) learned the method in Mino and made paper after returning home. Its name comes from this place name. Only kozo (paper mulberry) is used as the raw material, with no Western paper pulp mixed in. A major characteristic is yukizarashi (snow bleaching), typical of this heavy-snow region, in which kozo bark is laid out on the snow to bring out a natural whiteness. Because it is strong, breathes well, retains moisture and resists sun discoloration, it has long been valued as shoji paper. In 1976 it became a Traditional Craft Designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. In Iiyama City and Kijimadaira Village, there are facilities where visitors can try papermaking.
Origin
Uchiyama Paper is said to have begun in Kanbun 1 (1661). According to tradition, Hagiwara Kiuemon of Uchiyama Village, Takai District, Shinano Province, acquired papermaking skills in Mino Province, returned home and made paper at home, and this was its origin. The name Uchiyama Paper comes from this place name, Uchiyama. Kozo, the raw material, grew wild in the area and was easy to obtain, and in the Edo period papermaking seems to have spread throughout Oku-Shinano (northern Shinano).
History
A record from Hoei 3 (1706) shows a tax on papermaking, and by the mid-Edo period it was an industry subject to taxation. It suited farmers as a winter side job in snowy Oku-Shinano, and its durable shoji paper was in demand locally and in Echigo. In Meiji 42 there were 1,130 producing households, but with the spread of Western paper, many switched to other work. The remaining producers reorganized their association to protect the techniques, and in 1976 it was designated a national Traditional Craft.
Features
Uchiyama Paper is made from 100% kozo and is strong and supple, with excellent breathability, light transmission and moisture retention. Laying the kozo bark out on the snow during production gives it a natural whiteness. It is said that the bark whitens through the action of ozone produced as the snow melts, which also makes the paper resistant to sun discoloration. Besides shoji paper, it is used for mounting paper, art paper, lighting fixtures and more.
Techniques
Tohi (Freezing the Bark)
A process in which kozo black bark soaked in water is left on the snow overnight to freeze. Repeating this about three times makes the outer skin easier to peel, and the frozen outer skin is scraped off with a tool. It is a technique unique to Oku-Shinano, with its harsh cold.
Yukizarashi (Snow Bleaching)
A process in which kozo bark is woven onto ropes, spread out on the snow, sprinkled lightly with snow and exposed to the sun for about a week. The power of the snow whitens the kozo, creating the distinctive, tasteful natural whiteness of Uchiyama Paper.
Nagashi-zuki (Flowing Method)
Paper stock mixed with the mucilage of tororo-aoi (sunset hibiscus) is scooped up with a sugeta, a frame fitted with a bamboo screen, and the paper is formed by repeatedly shaking it back and forth and side to side to throw off the water. Forming sheets of even thickness requires a subtle touch and experience.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Steaming and Stripping
The harvested kozo is steamed in a cauldron, and the bark is stripped off and dried in the sun.
- 2
Tohi and Kawakaki (Bark Scraping)
The soaked bark is frozen on the snow, and the outer skin is scraped off.
- 3
Yukizarashi
The kozo bark is spread out on the snow and exposed to the sun for about a week.
- 4
Cooking and Fushi-hiroi (Picking Out Impurities)
The bark is cooked until soft, and withered bark, knots and debris are removed.
- 5
Beating and Papermaking
The fibers are beaten to loosen them, combined with tororo-aoi mucilage and formed into paper.
- 6
Pressing and Drying
The formed paper is pressed to remove water and dried on boards or on iron plates.
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Artisans & Workshops
阿部製紙
An Uchiyama Paper mill with its workshop in Mizuho, Iiyama City. Traditional Craftsman Abe Takuya also serves as an instructor at the 'Traditional Craft School (Uchiyama Paper)' that Iiyama City runs to train successors, and the workshop serves as the venue for papermaking practice.
内山紙協同組合
The production-area association for Uchiyama Paper, with its office in Mizuho, Iiyama City. The association founded by producers after the war went through mergers and took its present name in 2003. It also works on developing new products, such as lighting fixtures and textile goods made from paper twisted into cord.
Official site →How to Buy
- 内山手すき和紙体験の家
- A hands-on facility in Hotaka, Kijimadaira Village, which also sells original crafts made with Uchiyama Paper. A variety of washi products, such as blinds and lighting fixtures, are displayed inside.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
飯山手すき和紙体験工房（飯山市工芸交流センター）
長野県飯山市大字飯山1439-1
Visitors can try papermaking for about 210 yen for one postcard, 520 yen for one shikishi (square art board), and 620 yen for 12 bookmarks. Closed on Mondays and from December 29 to March 31. A reservation is required for groups of 10 or more.
内山手すき和紙体験の家
長野県下高井郡木島平村大字穂高1143-3
A facility opened in 1987 to pass on the techniques of Uchiyama Paper. A papermaking experience for 3 postcards or 1 shikishi costs about 800 yen, and postcards are finished in about an hour. Closed on Wednesdays.
View details →阿部和紙工房
長野県飯山市大字瑞穂4894
A workshop run by 阿部製紙 that offers papermaking experiences for 2 postcards or 1 shikishi, each for about 500 yen. It is for ages 6 and up and accepts visitors from spring to autumn. A reservation with the workshop is required in advance.
FAQ
Q. Why is the bark laid out on the snow?
A. It is said that when kozo bark is laid out on the snow, it whitens through the action of ozone produced as the snow melts, resulting in paper that resists sun discoloration. In Oku-Shinano, a region of heavy snow, the usefulness of snow for papermaking is also considered one of the reasons papermaking spread.
Q. Is paper still made in Uchiyama, Kijimadaira Village, where it originated?
A. According to Kijimadaira Village, more than 140 farming households in the Uchiyama area made paper in the Meiji period, but papermaking there died out in 1970. In 1987 the 'Uchiyama Tesuki Washi Taiken no Ie' (Uchiyama Handmade Washi Experience House) was opened to revive and pass on the techniques, and visitors can try papermaking there.
Q. Is Uchiyama Paper still being passed on to children?
A. Elementary schools in Iiyama City hold Uchiyama Paper papermaking experiences, and the paper the children make themselves becomes their graduation certificates. The city also runs a 'Traditional Craft School' where successors learn the production process, centered on papermaking.