Artwork of historical process of paper-making in Nijio.
Wildcrafting is involved in making Najio-gampi-shi washi paper, as the materials for the paper and dye are collected by hand from a deciduous shrub . The pigment is collected from rocks.
Moulds and deckles for papermaking.
Moulds used for papermaking.
Moulds and deckles for papermaking.
The paper pulp process.
Couched Gampi-shi washi paper envelopes drying. Gampi-shi paper is smooth, strong and excellent for printmaking.
Masanabu Tanina of Nishinomiya-Najio in Hyogo Prefecture stirs the pulp before using a mould to pull a piece of washi paper.
Couching washi paper after dipped in pulp with a mold and deckle.
Me, using a mold and deckle to pull a piece of washi paper from the pulp. 和紙. The Kanji for washi includes the character ”wa” which means ”peace” and the Japanese. “Shi” means paper.
Beautiful washi paper is used in making shoji screens and fushumi partitions.
Finished washi paper
Beautiful packaging using Gampi-shi washi paper. Paper in Japan is considered a noble element, strong but at the same as fragile as life itself and has become the perfect mediator between humans and gods. Numerous Japanese words in Japan are associated with paper.
