About Washi

Washi is traditional paper made from the inner fibres of three native Japanese plants- 

Kozo (Paper Mulberry)- The fibres are thick and strong. It is the most widely used fibre, and the strongest. It is grown as a farm crop, and regenerates annually, so no forests are depleted in the process.

Mitsumata- Soft and delicate. Mitsumata takes longer to grow and is thus a more expensive paper. It is indigenous to Japan and is also grown as a crop.

Gampi- The earliest used, it is known for its richness, longevity and natural sheen. Gampi is typically a wild plant.

Other fibres such as hemp, abaca, rayon, horsehair, and silver or gold foil are sometimes added for decorative effect.

 

The fibres are usually harvested during the winter, when water is naturally frozen and free from impurities, offering the freshest, most natural ingredients for paper making.

The branches are then steamed to soften them, and then the bark is carefully removed and dried. The dry bark is then boiled, and any impurities are removed. The solution is pounded and stretched by hand to loosen the fibres.

The pounded fibre is put in very cold water with tororo-aoi fermented hibiscus root) and stirred to produces a paste-like substance.

This paste is mixed and tangled, then gathered in a bamboo mesh screen called a Su and shaken to help the fibers become entwined. Once a desired size and thickness is reached, the excess water is poured off from the solution.

The sheet is turned out and flattened further then dried. 

Here are some pictures from my washi making class at the Washi museum in Tokyo.