"CRAFT TOURISM ECHIZEN" Experience the craftsmanship and heart of Echizen washi paper

The sound of Japanese paper being made echoes in the traditional Tsumairi Udatsu house in the Goka district. At the Echizen Washi no Sato, where you can experience Echizen washi paper, there is the Udatsu Crafts Museum, where you can see how paper is made using traditional tools. Traditional craftsman Naho Murata works in a building that is said to have been founded in 1748 (the first year of Kanen).

“This place was relocated in 1997 when I moved to Imadate.

Murata was originally from Kyoto Prefecture and studied fashion arts, but when she encountered Echizen washi, she was fascinated by the variety of techniques and the beauty of the paper itself, and decided to become a paper craftsman.

While women often serve as suki hands, Ms. Murata handles the entire process by herself, from boiling the raw materials through heat treatment to finishing. “Even if you go to an uninhabited island, you should be able to make paper by yourself.” "Echizen torinoko paper", which was learned under a research-intensive master who pursues good washi, a preservation society was established to preserve the technique, and Mr. Murata serves as an instructor.

“Because I was able to play a role in conveying the work of papermaking and the appeal of washi at the craft museum, I came to think that I wanted to move from the existence of points to the existence of lines in the history of Echizen washi.”

Tourists, local children, young people aspiring to become craftsmen, and artists seeking special paper...the wonderfulness of washi is conveyed to a wide range of people. ” to create. And it becomes a "line" that conveys the pride of the production area of "Echizen torinoko paper" to the next generation. The days spent making paper at the Kogeikan gave me the opportunity to think deeply about myself as a craftsman in the production area.

As a paper-making craftsman, he says he wants to focus on making Japanese paper that is more familiar and easy to use while searching for the paper that is needed in the present age.

“Don’t you feel an instinctive comfort in things that are natural or made by hand? I want to be

Mr. Murata loves the process of turning plant fibers into paper. While carrying on the spirit of his master, he strives to create “good paper” that people enjoy using.