JAPANESE HANDMADE PAPER IS ROOTED IN DEEP ROOTS IN JAPANESE LIFESTYLE

Japanese handmade paper is rooted in deep roots in Japanese lifestyle

They are very proud and consider promoting its development increasingly important. Although there is a change in time according to each historical stage, but now the demand for handmade paper in Japan has not decreased, it is still an indispensable item for Japanese people.

The origin and history of Japanese handmade paper

Tosa Province, located on Shikoku Island, now Kochi Prefecture, is called the “King of Paper”. Kochi Prefecture is still the main production center in Japan, both for paper and paper manufacturing factories. Some towns like Tosa and Ino are famous for their traditional local paper industry.

“Tosa Washi” means all the Kochi handmade paper or “Kochi paper”, soft but strong, durable and has a variety of mixed colors. Suitable for making sophisticated craft products. Gifts made with Japanese handmade paper Tosa Washi always have warmth in it because it is made by hand, with the heart of the donor.

Japanese handcrafted small paper used to stack cranes gradually went into oblivion, but recently there seems to be a revival in Tosa Washi craft paper industry. Today Tosa province is particularly famous for its large variety of high quality paper for the teaching in technical classes for students and some other creative tasks such as wall decoration, handmade…

The paper factory at Kochi has been dating for more than 1,000 years. The papers “Hoshogami” and “Sugiwaragami” were reserved for Emperor Daigo and were used to record court ceremonies and official events in the 10th century. The emperor sent Mr. Tosa Nikki to Tosa to study and produce a satisfactory paper. At the time he was an official in 930, he could be said to be the father of writing.

The process of formation of Japanese handmade paper

At the end of the 16th century, a series of seven sheets of paper in different colors, was made by Sabrozaemon Aki and her colleagues. With the support of lords (feudal lords) it developed during the Edo period (1603-1867) into one of Tosa’s main products. Genta Yoshii (1826-1908) invented “Tengujou-shi”. The thinnest paper in the world, and “mitsumata Kairyoban-shi” (improving half-size paper) was born in turn. He also contributed to improving tools for paper production.

Since then the paper industry has started to spread to this day. He was the one with the new foundations for the modern paper industry.

A few years ago, the Japanese government passed a law to promote, protect and develop traditional and handmade arts. Under this law, the Japanese craft of making Tosa Washi paper was designated a traditional Japanese handicraft in 1976, and “Tengujou-shi” and “Tosa Seicho-shi” were designated as properties. cultural. At the same time a number of tools for paper-making planners have been selected to preserve handicrafts.

There are still more than 300 people involved in making handmade paper made in Kochi. Protecting the heirs is a serious problem in traditional crafts.

Today, this paper production is stable, largely thanks to machine-made paper technology.

“The world’s thinnest paper”, developed by skillful techniques and under the aesthetic eye of the Japanese people, has received many compliments over the past hundred years, and is now coming back.

 It’s just a normal piece of paper when you hold it in your hand, but to hunt and maintain it to change the family’s rules for 1000 years is really true, isn’t it? So use paper when necessary important information and should not waste this precious resource.

Wish readers have a happy day and find out more interesting things about this magical country here!