[Traditional crafts of Ozu] Handmade Ozu washi paper experience!

• Table of Contents
• The industry that supported the Ozu domain [Ozu Washi]
• The rise and present of Ozu Washi
• Tenjin paper factory
• Isozakishachu
• Recommended as a souvenir for sightseeing in Ozu!

When you come to see Japanese paper making in Ozu, we recommend NIPPONIA HOTEL Ozu Castle Town. If you are staying overnight, please also refer to the article below.

Check out the official website of “NIPPONIA HOTEL Ozu Castle Town”

The industry that supported the Ozu domain [Ozu Washi]

Ozu Washi refers to handmade washi paper manufactured in the Ozu Domain (currently Uchiko Town).

Ozu Washi, which has been designated as a national traditional craft, is made from the beautiful water of the Odagawa River.It is thin and has little unevenness, and is mainly used as high-quality paper for calligraphy.

It is also said that Ozu washi paper that has been used for three to four years becomes even smoother and can express its unique taste.

The rise and present of Ozu Washi

Ozu Washi has a long history, and is thought to have a history of over 1000 years, as it was mentioned in a legal code called the Engishiki compiled around 900 AD.

From the 1600s onward, Ozu washi reached its peak, and by the Meiji period (1868-) there were as many as 430 manufacturers.

In the Showa era (1926-), the mechanization of the paper industry progressed, and the number of Ozu washi producers decreased dramatically, leaving only a few Ozu washi producers.

However, in order to pass on Ozu washi to the future, there are currently many activities being carried out to pass on Ozu washi to the future, such as a technique called gilding and hands-on experience.

Tenjin paper factory

Tenjin Paper Factory is one of the companies that continues to produce Ozu Washi.

Inside the factory, you can see the washi manufacturing process and try your hand at making paper, and the Ozu Washi Hall on the premises sells handmade washi memo pads and accessories.

You can also tour the workshop and try your hand at making washi paper, so if you are interested, please contact us through the official website.

business hours

▼ Tenjin Paper Factory, Ozu Washi Kaikan

8:30-17:00 (weekdays)

▼Paper making experience

8:30-15:00 (weekdays)

▼Ozu Washi Kaikan

9:00-17:00 (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)

Workshop tour/experience

▼Workshop tour

500 yen (200 yen for elementary, junior high and high school students) Comes with a gift of Japanese paper accessories

Weekdays only, no reservation required

▼Handmade washi paper experience (workshop tour fee included)

1500 yen (elementary, junior high and high school students 1000 yen)

Held only on weekdays, reservations required for 2 people or more

▼Gilding (metal foil) experience

1,500 yen

Reservation required (minimum of 2 people)

Tenjin Paper Mill Official Homepage

Isozakishachu

Isozaki Shachu is a company that produces ``Gilding Washi'', which is Ozu Washi paper covered with oxidized metal foil such as silver or copper.

Our gilded washi paper, which has a unique color that has never been seen before, has been praised both domestically and internationally, and has won numerous awards.

There is also a guild experience and a shop, so you can have fun with your family.

Isozakishachu Official Homepage

Guilding experience

▼Contents

Experience gilding, which uses metal foil to paste on postcards made from Ozu washi paper.

▼Fees

1,650 yen (tax included) for 2 pieces (postcard included)

Recommended as a souvenir for sightseeing in Ozu!

Ozu washi paper is also recommended as a souvenir when walking around Ozu town.

You can also purchase Ozu Washi and Gilded Washi products at Ozu Red Brick Museum, Unagi no Nedoko, and OZU+.

Please look for your favorite one!

Ozu Red Brick Museum

60 Ozu, Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture 795-0012

It was built in 1901 as the head office of Ozu Commercial Bank. The building is mainly constructed of British bricks, with a Japanese-style roof covered with Japanese tiles, and a fusion of Japanese and Western style, with the oni tile having the character for commerce on it. At that time, Ozu was at its peak as a base for manufacturing wax and silk, as well as for distribution by boat. Garyu Sanso was completed at the same time, which shows how economically prosperous Ozu was at the time and had a high standard of culture. The main building is lined with high-quality Ozu miscellaneous goods, as well as Japanese accessories, crafts, and special products made by local and prefectural artists, as well as souvenirs that can only be found here. You can experience delicate handicrafts such as the smooth texture and sophisticated design of Tobeyaki ceramics from Ehime Prefecture, and accessories made from cocoons from Ozu.

Unaginonedoko Ehime Ozu store

240-2 Ozu, Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture 795-0012

A store that sells daily necessities made in various parts of Japan, with a focus on manufacturing in Shikoku and Setouchi. Inside a renovated hospital that was built in the early Showa era, you can find Tobe ware and Imabari towels from Ehime, gloves from Kagawa, cutlery from Kochi, indigo dyeing from Tokushima, and canvas from Okayama. are on sale. The company's original product, MONPE, is made from Kurume Kasuri, a traditional fabric from Fukuoka that has been around for about 200 years. is also an optimal product.

OZU+

393 Ozu, Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture 795-0012

In addition to towels from "IKEUCHI ORGANIC" in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, we sell sustainable products using materials from Ozu and the prefecture. If you pick up each carefully displayed item, you will have a lively conversation with the owner. It is so thoughtful and full of commitment. The towels and washi paper, which are special products of Ehime Prefecture, are also cute, with the owner's sensibility projected and the one-of-a-kind accents that make you feel like Ozu.