Uda-gami is a handmade Japanese paper produced in the Yoshino region in southern Nara Prefecture. Made from kozo (paper mulberry) with white clay from crushed pumice mixed in, it becomes a paper that combines strength and suppleness with a distinctive soft texture. It is produced in the Kuzu district of Yoshino-cho, upstream on the Yoshino River, and was originally called 'Kuzu-gami.' In the Edo period, merchants from Uda County in Yamato Province (around present-day Uda City), who had close economic ties to the area, bought up the paper and sold it around the country, and it is said to have gradually become known as 'Uda-gami' after them. Because the mixed-in white clay prevents the paper from shrinking or being damaged by insects and keeps it from curling back when rolled, it is regarded as the finest lining paper for mounting hanging scrolls and folding screens, and is also used in the restoration of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. This technique is designated a nationally Selected Conservation Technique, 'Production of Uda-gami, hand-made paper for mounting,' and today is carried on by a long-established papermaking workshop in the Kuzu district of Yoshino-cho.
Origin
Handmade Japanese paper has long been produced around the Kuzu district of Yoshino-cho, upstream on the Yoshino River, and the paper was originally called 'Kuzu-gami.' In the Edo period, merchants from Uda County in Yamato Province (around present-day Uda City), who had close economic ties to the area, bought up this paper and sold it widely around the country, and it is said to have gradually become known as 'Uda-gami' after them. Although the paper is produced not in present-day Uda City but in Kuzu, Yoshino-cho, the name of Uda, the region responsible for its distribution, became attached to the paper.
History
Uda-gami has been prized as mounting paper since the Edo period, and the distinctive method of mixing kozo fiber with white clay has been passed down through generations. In Kuzu, handmade papermaking has continued since the Meiji era, supplying paper craftsmen nationwide with lining paper essential for mounting calligraphy and paintings. In recent years, its value as paper for restoring National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties has been reappraised, and it has been designated a nationally Selected Conservation Technique, 'Production of Uda-gami, hand-made paper for mounting.' Today, a long-established workshop in Kuzu, Yoshino-cho carries on the technique across generations and continues production.
Features
The greatest characteristic of Uda-gami lies in its method of mixing white clay made from crushed pumice into kozo fiber. The white clay gives the paper an appropriate thickness and softness, and because it resists curling back when rolled and reduces insect damage and shrinkage, it is regarded as the finest mounting paper for lining hanging scrolls and folding screens. Strong yet supple in texture, it helps preserve calligraphy and paintings, and is also used both in Japan and abroad as paper for restoring cultural properties.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Raw material processing
Harvested kozo is steamed and the bark peeled off; the outer skin is scraped from the black bark to leave the white bark, which is boiled in a large pot to soften the fibers that will become the paper's raw material.
- 2
Impurity removal
While rinsing the boiled fibers in clear running water, blemishes, nodes, discolored parts, and other impurities are carefully removed by hand, one by one, to enhance the paper's whiteness and quality.
- 3
Papermaking
White clay made from crushed pumice and panicle hydrangea mucilage are mixed with the kozo fiber, and a papermaking frame is rocked back and forth to form paper of even thickness.
- 4
Drying
Each freshly made sheet of paper is carefully mounted on boards or a drying machine and air-dried, producing the supple, durable texture unique to Uda-gami.
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Artisans & Workshops
福西和紙本舗（福西正行）
A handmade papermaking workshop in Kuzu, Yoshino-cho, operating since the Edo period. Masayuki Fukunishi, the eighth-generation head, is a certified holder of the nationally Selected Conservation Technique for making Uda-gami, essential for mounting calligraphy and paintings, and also produces paper for cultural property restoration.
Official site →How to Buy
- 福西和紙本舗
- A long-established workshop that produces and sells handmade Yoshino washi, including Uda-gami, directly. A wide variety of paper is available, from calligraphy and mounting paper to plant-dyed paper and lye-boiled Uda-gami used for cultural property restoration.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
福西和紙本舗
奈良県吉野郡吉野町窪垣内218-1
Offers a handmade papermaking experience (choice of 8 postcards or a certificate-sized sheet). Maple leaves or flower petals can be embedded into 100% kozo Yoshino washi. Fee is 2,000 yen, for groups of around 10, taking about one hour. Reservation required at least one month in advance.
View details →森本表具店
奈良県桜井市戒重305
A hands-on Nara mounting (hyogu) class led by a certified Nara mounting traditional craftsperson. A substantial program covering traditional mounting techniques such as lining hanging scrolls with Uda-gami and other washi, taking about 3 hours. Reservation required.