"CRAFT TOURISM ECHIZEN"　Ultimately, "Sekhada hemp paper" to the world's art paper

Ultimately, "Kumohada hemp paper" to the world's art paper

“I learned how to think from my father and how to make paper from my mother,” says Makiko Iwano, who aspires to become Heisaburo Iwano IV. Iwano Heizaburo Paper Mill is located in the Goka district of Echizen City, the center of Echizen Washi. I grew up in it and was brought up to inherit that name. As a handmade Japanese paper workshop, it is the largest in Japan, and my father, the predecessor, had 60 employees at its peak.

"Follow". It means not only technique but also management. As I grew up, the words gained weight, and I worked outside to escape. However, by moving away from washi, he realized that he must not lose this important tradition. Three years after graduating from university, he joined Heizaburo Iwano Paper Mill. The task given by her predecessor to Makiko, who wanted to hone her skills as a craftsman, was to be able to handle all the processes of making washi paper. “It was frustrating back then. Now, as a business owner, I understand that it is necessary to have an overall grasp of washi making,” he laughs.

Kumohadamashi, the representative paper of the company, was created in 1926 after Mr. Konan Naito of Imperial University recommended Mr. Heizaburo Iwano , the founder of Heizaburo Iwano, to use the obsolete hemp paper. revived. At the time, Japanese painting paper, which could be layered with paint, was revolutionary, revolutionizing the Japanese painting world, and has been loved by masters such as Taikan Yokoyama and Ikuo Hirayama. The largest one is 212 cm x 273 cm, and only a few companies among the many Echizen washi paper mills can make such a large paper.

“Even for making paper, it is a team of two people, and for large paper it is a team of four or six people. That is why coordination is so important. When Makiko herself expresses her feelings on paper, she tries to "always stay calm while having a sense of self." I learned that attitude from my predecessor.

And now, as a manager, I am thinking about how Heizaburo Iwano Paper should be, and as a craftsman, I am concerned about how many repeat artists I can get. Always sticking to the artist's wishes, everyone makes paper. The number of types of paper increased by the number of artists, and exceeded 30. "Pursuing Japanese drawing paper". That is the belief and history of Heisaburo Iwano Paper Mill.

“Overseas, paintings are mainly done on canvas (cloth), but in the future, I would like to spread the Japanese culture of washi as art paper overseas,” says Makiko. Based on the belief passed down by Heisaburo Iwano, we aim for the day when "Kumohada hemp paper" becomes the world's art paper.

https://www.iwanoheizaburouseishisho.com/