Yame Washi (Yame handmade washi paper) is traditional handmade Japanese paper (washi) produced mainly in Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture. According to tradition, its origins date to the Tensho era (the 1590s), when a Buddhist priest named Nichigen Shonin, who came from Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture), visited Yame, recognized that the water quality and climate of the Yabe River basin were well suited to papermaking, and passed the technique on to the local people. Made using kozo (paper mulberry) with fibers that are longer and thicker than those found in other production areas, together with the clear water of the Yabe River, Yame Washi is known for a strength and durability not found in paper from other regions. Because its thick, sturdy fibers give the paper excellent durability, it is highly valued as a mounting paper for hanging scrolls, shoji paper, and the inner lining of fusuma sliding doors, and it is said to have even been used to restore National Treasures. It is regarded as one of the oldest washi-producing areas in Kyushu and has been designated a Traditional Craft Product by the Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture.
Origin
The origins of Yame Washi are said to date back to the Tensho era (the 1590s). According to tradition, a Buddhist priest named Nichigen Shonin, who came from Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture), visited Yame and recognized that the water quality and climate of the Yabe River basin were well suited to papermaking, teaching the local people the technique. Since then, handmade washi that makes the most of the Yabe River's clear water and the region's distinctively long-fibered kozo (paper mulberry) has taken root as a local industry in Yame.
History
From the Edo period onward, handmade washi production flourished around the Kurogi and Tachibana districts of Yame City along the Yabe River, and the area developed into one of the leading washi-producing regions in Kyushu. Some accounts suggest the region's papermaking history goes back even further, noting that paper recorded in a document from 747 under the name 'Tsukushi Washi' may refer to paper from this area. Today, as a Traditional Craft Product Designated by the Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture, a small number of workshops continue to produce handmade washi while preserving traditional techniques.
Features
The greatest feature of Yame Washi is the strength it derives from using the region's distinctive kozo (paper mulberry), whose fibers are thicker and longer than those used in other production areas, resulting in a paper of exceptional durability not seen elsewhere. Because it is sturdy and highly durable, it is highly valued as a mounting paper for hanging scrolls, folding screens, shoji paper, and the inner lining of fusuma sliding doors. Its quality has also been recognized in the field of cultural property preservation, as it has been used in the restoration of National Treasures.
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Artisans & Workshops
松尾和紙工房
A handmade washi workshop along the Yabe River with more than 100 years of history. It continues to produce washi using traditional methods and the region's distinctively long-fibered kozo (paper mulberry).
Official site →Hands-on Experiences
八女手すき和紙資料館
福岡県八女市本町2-123-2
Visitors can try their hand at making original postcards, name cards, and colored paper embedded with pressed flowers through a handmade washi experience. Prices start at around 800 yen for postcards (4 sheets), name cards (10 sheets), and colored paper (1 sheet). Admission is free; open 9:00-17:00 (experience workshops accepted until 16:00); closed Mondays and during the New Year holidays.
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