[Town of Handicrafts, Echizen City] The Potential of Echizen Washi to Stimulate Creators

The potential of Echizen Washi to inspire creators

A trip to have people with various backgrounds feel the climate of Echizen City. This time around Echizen City are two of Japan's top creators. Ryu Kosaka, an interior designer who works on hotels and other commercial spaces, and Makoto Oikawa, an editor.

Prior to the commercial space exhibition "BAMBOO EXPO 19" to be held in Tokyo from May 17th to 18th, 2023, two people came to the production area to experience Echizen washi, which has been attracting attention as a building material in recent years. Man. This is the second time for Mr. Oikawa to visit the production area of ​​Echizen Washi. This is the first time for Mr. Kosaka. First, we started our trip from the holy land of Echizen Washi to uncover the story of this place.

Okamoto Shrine/Otaki Shrine

In the Imadate district of Echizen City, there are still many Japanese paper workshops along the river. As you walk along the elegant street, you will see “Okamoto Shrine / Otaki Shrine” where the god of paper is enshrined.

Echizen washi is one of the top three Japanese papers in Japan in terms of quality, variety, and quantity.

Its origin is about 1500 years ago. It is said that a beautiful princess appeared in the upstream of the river that flows through this area and taught the villagers how to make paper. Since then, this princess has been called "Shisoshin, Kawakami Gozen" and enshrined at Okamoto Shrine.

The shrine, which was rebuilt in the late Edo period, is attracting attention as the most complex shrine architecture in Japan. In particular, the cypress bark thatched roof has a unique shape consisting of irimoya-zukuri, chidori gables, kara gables, and irimoya with kara gables, which is unique in Japan.

The front of the worship hall has elaborate lions and dragons, and the sides and back are also carved with Chinese historical themes.

“A building with such beauty and complexity is also a manifestation of religious beliefs.

“I like shrines and visit them often, but it is rare to find a shrine with such architectural designs and techniques. It was a good start to my trip,” said Mr. Kosaka, looking at every corner of the shrine with great interest. was

The next place I visited was the Udatsu Craft Museum in Echizen Washi no Sato. This is the only place in Japan where you can see the entire process of making Japanese paper by a traditional craftsman using traditional tools.

Okamoto Shrine/Otaki Shrine

Usatsu Craft Museum

Udatsu was originally built as a firewall to prevent fires from spreading to neighboring houses, but around the middle of the Edo period, it came to be built for decorative purposes. The "udatsu" of this building is also built facing the front, and it seems that it was a shape often seen in private houses around here.

Echizen washi paper is made from kozo, mitsumata, and ganpi. Boil the skin to soften it and use mainly the soft white skin underneath the black outer skin.

In the hall, work of "Toriyori" was also done. Chiriyori is a process that requires a great deal of patience to remove impurities such as the black bark and hard fibers remaining on the skin. This process is essential for making clean Japanese paper, and is repeated many times to thoroughly remove dust.

Paper making is usually done in the coldest of winters, and hands are kept in cold water for hours. Through such harsh work, the raw material for Japanese paper is made.

The craftsman who explained to me with a smile changed to a sharp face the moment he started making paper. You can't help but be fascinated by the beauty of the movement that makes the paper one after another.

Witnessing the techniques of paper making that have not changed for hundreds of years, I realized once again that it takes a lot of time and effort.

Usatsu Craft Museum

Paper Culture Museum

After seeing the craftsmanship up close, head to the Paper Culture Museum. While learning about the history of Japanese paper, you can see various papers made in the production area on display.

In the annex, about 125 pieces of Japanese paper representing the production area are displayed. Even though Echizen washi is a single word, it varies from pure white to colored and processed paper. There is also paper made by a Living National Treasure.

Recently, Echizen washi is increasingly being used as a building material, as some washi has been certified as noncombustible.

As soon as Mr. Kosaka heard that, he began to hold up the light of his mobile phone to the washi paper. Checking the texture when lighting is applied. Certainly, when the light hits it, a different expression of Japanese paper appears.

After experiencing the diversity of Echizen washi at the museum, head to a papermaking workshop where craftsmen actually work. Mr. Kosaka and Mr. Oikawa, what kind of possibilities do you see in Echizen Washi?

Paper Culture Museum

Yanase Ryozo Paper Mill

After leaving the museum and walking along the approach to Okamoto Shrine and Otaki Shrine, I came across the Yanase Ryozo Paper Mill. At Yanase Ryozo Paper Mill, we make a variety of papers to meet your needs, with a focus on thin and soft-touch “Usukami Kozoshi,” which is so thin that light can be seen through it.

The paper mill also has a directly managed store "RYOZO" in a renovated garage, where you can find a variety of Japanese paper items.

Under the guidance of Mr. Yasuhiro Yanase, I was allowed to enter the workshop. Female craftsmen continue to make washi in the workshop. It seems that the average age is 29 years old.

“The god of Echizen washi is a woman. Making paper is said to be women’s work, and following that custom, there are still many female craftsmen today,” says Yasuhiro.

Next to the workshop, there is also a space where you can experience making paper, and Mr. Kosaka and Mr. Oikawa also tried their hand at making paper.

A paper-making tool called a “keta” is placed in a bucket filled with washi raw materials, and the paper is slowly shaken as it is made.

“Echizen washi paper is made by shaking the beams vertically. The craftsmen do this with ease, but first-timers tend to exert a lot of force, and many of them end up with muscle pain.” Ms. Kyoko Yanase, the third-generation owner of the Ryozo Yanase Paper Mill, gave us the paper.

Kyoko, who is also a traditional craftsman, entered the world of paper making at the age of 18, and has been working in this field ever since. It is said that only Kyoko can make "Kata Rakusui Paper", which is made using a technique that uses molds.

Lastly, we were shown how Kyoko makes paper. The figure that moves the girders rhythmically is dynamic. In a quiet space, only the unique sound of tapping, tapping, and slightly sticky water reverberates.

While carefully repeating the movement of paper making, the fibers that float in the water are folded and piled up to form a single sheet of paper. It was two people who were fascinated by such craftsmanship.

Yanase Ryozo Paper Mill

Yamada Brothers Paper

The next place I visited was Yamada Brothers Paper Manufacturing. In 1882, the sixth generation Kyubei Yamada founded a paper manufacturing business from a sericulture business, and since then it has been a paper mill that has been handed down from generation to generation with the name "Kyubei".

In the era of the 7th generation, he was engaged in high-quality papermaking called "Tokugami", which is used for stock certificates, bonds, securities, etc. At the beginning of the Meiji period, craftsmen from Echizen, Fukui Prefecture were invited by the Paper Making Department of the Ministry of Finance's Printing Bureau to make paper for money. It is also known for its dense, glossy paper and high durability.

Because it is used for stock certificates and securities, the quality standards are very strict, and even a single speck of dust can make it useless. In one corner of the workshop, a female craftsman carefully inspects each piece.

Today, the ninth generation serves as the chairman and the tenth generation as the president. Based on the technology cultivated in securities paper, they are involved in various types of washi, including traditional "watermarking washi" and colorful "sukiawase washi". I'm here.

Since 2001, we have been focusing on making eco-friendly Japanese paper, such as "Yoshigami" made from reeds, and "Unkagami" made from 98% recycled paper such as old newspapers and used paper. Masu.

Mr. Oikawa is also very interested in the fact that even with the same Japanese paper, there are various stories depending on the materials used. The new keyword “Echizen Washi × Environment” is also likely to be a hint for the future.

Yamada Brothers Paper

Nagata Paper Mill

After walking for a few minutes from Yamada Brothers, we arrived at our next destination, the Osada Paper Mill. Founded in 1909, Nagata Paper Works specializes in the production of handmade fusuma paper, which is rare in Japan. We also produce "kneaded paper", which is thick fusuma paper that is deeply wrinkled by hand, and Japanese paper that uses only natural raw materials without using chemicals.

“The original fusuma paper was plain fusuma paper, but as time went on, we decided to make something a little more elaborate by hand, so we designed the patterns of mountains and clouds while making the paper by hand. This is my grandmother. Although it has an old-fashioned design, it has become a mainstream product at our company,” explains Kazuya Nagata, the owner of the company.

Furthermore, Mr. Nagata devised a technique called “hiryu,” in which sticky raw materials are thrown into the air and patterns are placed on washi.

Currently, it seems that many decorative washi papers such as tapestries and lampshades are being produced as interior washi by applying "Hiryu". In the gallery in the annex, there are several types of lamps that are finished with layers of flying dragons. A beautiful pattern with light and gradation emerges.

The things Mr. Nagata makes are basically made-to-order. From design to everything, we do it ourselves. Mr. Kosaka and Mr. Oikawa are happy to meet many one-of-a-kind products that can only be found here! It seemed that Mr. Nagata and I could talk endlessly until time allowed.

Nagata Paper Mill

Yanase Japanese paper

Next, we visited Yanase Washi. We will ask Mr. Haruo Yanase, the second generation, about the making of Yanase Washi.

“We mainly make plain and patterned fusuma paper. It is our policy not to turn down requests for Japanese paper.Many people come to the production area of ​​Echizen washi after being rejected at other production areas. Accumulation is the food.”

In recent years, the “Harukami” series of Japanese paper boxes created in collaboration with designer Yoshiki Matsuyama has become a hot topic. Despite the soft texture of Japanese paper, the box looks like a work of art and features a design that looks great in both a Japanese atmosphere and modern interiors.

In Echizen washi, there is a song that has been handed down since ancient times called the “Papermaking Song,” and Mr. Yanase also performed a passage from it.

He was born in Goka and learned how to make paper. Inheriting the teaching of paper, parents, children and grandchildren make paper. I've learned how to make paper from 7 or 8 years old, and I still don't know how to do it properly. Both the lord and the shogun fall under the hands of Goka Hosho. The work I learned from Mr. Kawakami, how can I change my mind? The whiteness of the hosho that has been strained with pure water and dried. Perseverance and patience is gold, and the tree of patience is gold. The sun rang, telling me to close it, but I couldn't put it away because of my work. ～From “Paper Making Song”～

As you can see from the song, each craftsman has pride and it seems that the culture of friendly rivalry has been rooted since ancient times.

Yanase Japanese paper

Sugihara Shoten

The last place we visited on the first day was Sugihara Shoten, which is located a few minutes by car from Yanase Washi. As a washi wholesaler, we plan and sell Echizen washi around the world in cooperation with craftsmen in the production areas.

Various Japanese paper products are lined up in the gallery, which is a renovated storehouse. We would like to ask Mr. Yoshinao Sugihara, the representative sommelier of Echizen Washi, about the appeal of Echizen Washi.

Mr. Sugihara says that the appeal of Echizen Washi is that “anything can be done”. “Echizen City is currently a major production area with about 300 paper craftsmen. One of Japan’s two Washi Living National Treasures is here, and half of the 66 Washi traditional craftsmen in Japan live in Echizen. It is a unique feature here.”

Echizen Washi is said to have been used by world-famous painters such as Picasso and Rembrandt. However, in recent years, the demand for interior decoration has also increased, and Mr. Sugihara has expanded the possibilities of Echizen washi by connecting creators and craftsmen around the world by exhibiting at exhibitions around the world.

“If you ask a craftsman if you can do something like this, they probably won’t answer ‘I can’t do it.’ That’s the beauty of this area, that you can do anything. I would like to have it," he told me how to enjoy the production area unique to a Japanese paper sommelier.

Sugihara Shoten

Igarashi Paper

At the beginning of the second day, I came to "Igarashi Paper". Founded in 1919, it produces a wide range of Japanese paper, from large paper to small items, mainly for fusuma and wallpaper. Rated.

Among them, Igarashi Paper's handmade large-sized creative Japanese paper is used in various spaces such as hotels, restaurants, public facilities, and cultural facilities.

By further evolving traditional techniques, it is possible to create three-dimensional expressions even with Japanese paper. There is unevenness like an oil painting, and it looks like a painting.

"We don't draw a rough sketch. The craftsman thinks about the design in his head and thinks 'I should make it look like this,'" said Mr. Kozo Igarashi, the third generation owner.

In addition, various works such as "Washi glass" collaborated with glass and "Washi Akari" (lighting) were shown.

Mr. Kosaka was particularly interested in the bell-shaped lighting that Igarashi Paper made more than 10 years ago. Originally, it had been sitting in a warehouse as a failed product, but there was also a scene where he started drawing design drawings after coming up with hints for a new product from this work.

“Designers want to see not only finished products, but also failed or unfinished products. Knowing why they failed and the process of making them can lead to delusions and new ideas. It's not uncommon. I definitely want to make something together," says Kosaka. A collaboration with Igarashi Paper may be born in the future.

Igarashi Paper

Heisaburo Iwano Paper Mill

The final stop on this trip was the Iwano Heizaburo Paper Mill in the Imadate area. Founded in 1865, it is the largest handmade Japanese paper studio in Japan.

In addition to making Japanese paper that has been used by famous artists such as Taikan Yokoyama, Ikuo Hirayama, and Kaii Higashiyama, you can also make Japanese paper using hemp and large-sized paper made by a group of four or six people. It is also one of the few paper mills.

Even in this workshop, the paper is made by female craftsmen. Even though we weren't really talking to each other, I was surprised at how well we were breathing.

This is "neri" made from the roots of tororoaoi. It is a plant mucilage that is mixed with the paper material when the washi is being washed and made, and the paper material floats evenly in the water, and it seems to have the effect of strengthening the paper itself.

After the washi paper is pressed to remove moisture, it is pasted one by one onto ginkgo boards and dried in a warm room.

“The reason we use ginkgo nuts is because they don’t dry out easily in the sun. The wood itself has few knots and has a smooth finish, so it is used in many Echizen washi workshops. In addition to Japanese paper, Echizen also has chests of drawers, so one of the characteristics of the production area is that you can get tools that are only used in this area,” says Iwano. Makiko Iwano, the fourth generation of Heisaburo.

Iwano Heisaburo Paper Mill has inherited the traditional Echizen washi papermaking patterns and the techniques of the first generation Heisaburo Iwano. Seeing the craftsmen directly facing the papermaking process, I felt their desire to pass on this technique to future generations.

Heisaburo Iwano Paper Mill

Inspiration in Echizen Washi

We asked the two of them about their impressions of their trip, after visiting the Echizen Washi production sites for two days.

“Washi is a material that I have used many times, so I thought I knew about it, but when I actually visited the production area, I realized many things. It's amazing that they are there. Not just looking at them as a catalog, but seeing the scenes they are making fills my imagination," says Mr. Kosaka.

“It was interesting to see the craftsmen say, 'I can do it!' We were also grateful that they made proposals that exceeded our expectations,” continues Mr. Oikawa.

She was also interested in the fact that women are active in the production of Echizen washi paper. Since women are also active in the interior design and architecture scene, craftsmanship that values ​​the unique perspective of women may be an opportunity to bring out the potential of Echizen washi in the future.

“With so many materials to use, I believe that good creations cannot be made unless we can communicate what kind of people make them and how. Young creators should go out more and meet people on the front lines of manufacturing. I want you to cherish this.Because going outside is stimulating and fun,” says Kosaka.

“Next time, I want to visit the production areas of Echizen cutlery and Echizen chest of drawers!” Kosaka-san, Oikawa-san, I'll be waiting for you again!

▲You can see a digital pamphlet summarizing the travels of Mr. Kosaka and Mr. Oikawa.