At the end of our first day, Joanna and I went to Osada-san and Oki-san’s mill.
First stop: Osada-san’s company is a long-running fusuma (sliding doors) paper manufacturer. However, due to the recent decrease in demand for fusuma papers, Osada-san has started working on creating new and innovative items using his papers, such as lamp shades, fans and bags.
Continue reading “Washi Tour 2012: Echizen 3”
Our next stop in Fukui was to visit National Living Treasure, Mr. Ichibei Iwano.
The ninth generation in his family, Mr. Iwano is the maker of the Kizuki Hosho, a high quality 100% Japanese Kozo paper, now mainly used for woodblock printing or calligraphy. His papermaking processes are done by hand, with help from his wife and son. In his late-seventies, Mr. Iwano still takes time to do chiritori, with his own hands, to make sure all or most impurities do not show up on his finished papers.
Continue reading “Washi Tour 2012: Echizen Washi 2”
On Day 2 of our trip, Mr. Sugihara took us to various papermakers in the village. The first stop was Heizaburou Iwano’s mill, where our Iwano papers are made.
Continue reading “Washi Tour 2012: Echizen Washi”
On our first day of our Washi Tour, Joanna and I visited Mr. Hasegawa in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture.
Mr. Hasegawa first showed us the beautiful sites of Mino City, like the Itadori River, which is a key factor in Mino papermaking.
Continue reading “Washi Tour 2012: Mino”
Which paper maker is seen above hiding behind the bamboo screen?
Continue reading “Guess Who: Paper Maker”
The LightRoom
2263 Fifth St. Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 649-8111 toll-free (888) 649-8111
Date: April 28
Time: 10:00 a.m. – noon
Location: The LightRoom Studio
Cost: $50.00
Registration via phone or email starting April 5th, first come first seved. Call or email the LightRoom after 9 a.m. Payment by check or credit card.
Second workshop scheduled for May 12th, with possibility of another one in the summer.
Printed samples on a variety of papers will be shown, including papers from Hiromi Paper. Discussion on benefits and challenges of printing on these papers, how they differ from European and American papers, and detailed printing subjects. With history of paper making in Japan and tradition.
For more information, click here.
On January 18, 2012, a mini workshop of kozo bark stripping was taken place at Tosa Washi Kogeimura (Arts and Crafts Village) in Ino Machi of Kochi Prefecture.
Kozo is the main fiber used to make washi; the bark that is used in 70% of washi made today. These kozo trees are cut down every winter to make the fibers and soon after, the plant will grow new buds, sprouting vibrant green leaves in the summertime, and will again be ready to harvest by next winter. This is one of the reasons that washi is considered to be eco-friendly.
Continue reading “Stripping of Kozo Bark Workshop”
Just recently, one of our beloved paper makers in Kochi prefecture was featured in an article in the Yomiuri newspaper. (You can see the original article here)
Takaoka Ushi was the first paper makers to ever invent a paper-making machine in 1957; which is still used to this day. It is often said that handmade paper is better in quality than machine made ones, which is accurate, but these machine made papers by Takaoka are of excellent qualities, resembling those of handmade papers. Continue reading “Behind the paper: Takaoka Ushi”
Recently, one of our wonderful customers, Audrey, informed me that she had experienced making Japanese paper.
The amazing part about this is, she didn’t make paper in Japan…but in Israel.
Neither I nor Hiromi herself wasn’t aware that Japanese paper making methods are being practiced in that part of the world, which is quite fascinating. With Audrey’s generous help and wonderful pictures from her trip, I was able to do some research on this paper mill.
Continue reading “Japanese Papermaking in Israel”
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