Washi

Washi (和紙) is traditional Japanese paper. The word "washi" comes from wa
meaning 'Japanese' and shi meaning 'paper'. The term is used to describe paper
that uses local fiber, processed by hand and made in the traditional manner.
Washi is made using fibers from the inner bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata
shrub (Edgeworthia chrysantha), or the paper mulberry (kōzo) bush. [1] As a
Japanese craft, it is registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.[2]

Washi is generally tougher than ordinary paper made from wood pulp, and is
used in many traditional arts. Origami, Shodo, and Ukiyo-e were all produced The Sugiharagami (杉原紙), a kind of
using washi. Washi was also used to make various everyday goods like clothes, washi
household goods, and toys, as well as vestments and ritual objects for Shinto
priests and statues of Buddha. It was even used to make wreaths that were given
to winners in the 1998 Winter Paralympics. Several kinds of washi, referred to
collectively as Japanese tissue, are used in the conservation and mending of
books.

Contents
Origami cranes made of washi.
Manufacture
Types
Applications
Art
Clothing
Cuisine
Furniture
Objects
Events
Weaponry
Manufacturers
See also
Example of making washi at Ise, Mie
Notes and references Prefecture. IseWashi makes washi for Ise
Further reading Jingū.
External links

Manufacture
Washi is produced in a way similar to that of ordinary paper, but relies heavily on manual methods. It involves a long and intricate
process that is often undertaken in the cold weather of winter, as pure, cold running water is essential to the production of washi.
Cold inhibits bacteria, preventing the decomposition of the fibres. Cold also makes the fibres contract, producing a crisp feel to
the paper. It is traditionally the winter work of farmers, a task that supplemented a farmer's income.
Kozo, a type of mulberry, is the most commonly used fiber in making Japanese paper. The kozo branches are boiled and stripped
of their outer bark, and then dried. The fibers are then boiled with lye to remove the starch, fat and tannin, and then placed in
running water to remove the lye. The fibers are then bleached (either with chemicals or naturally, by placing it in a protected area
of a stream) and any remaining impurities in the fibers are picked out by hand. The kozo is laid on a rock or board and beaten.

Wet balls of pulp are mixed in a vat with water (and, in some cases, neri, which is a mucilaginous material made from the roots of
the tororo aoi plant) and one of two traditional methods of paper making (nagashi-zuki or tame-zuki) is employed. In both
methods, pulp is scooped onto a screen and shaken to spread the fibers evenly. Nagashi-zuki (which uses neri in the vat) produces
a thinner paper, while tame-zuki (which does not use neri) produces a thicker paper.

Types
With enough processing, almost any grass or tree can be made into a washi. Gampi, mitsumata, and paper mulberry are three
popular sources.[3]

Ganpishi (雁皮紙) – In ancient times, it was called Hishi (斐紙). Ganpishi has a smooth, shiny surface and is used
for books and crafts.
Kōzogami (楮紙) – Kōzogami is made from paper mulberry and is the most widely made type of washi. It has a
toughness closer to cloth than to ordinary paper and does not weaken significantly when treated to be water-
resistant.
Mitsumatagami (三椏紙) – Mitsumatagami has an ivory-colored, fine surface and is used for shodō as well as
printing. It was used to print paper money in Meiji period.

Applications
Until the early 20th century, the Japanese used washi in applications where Western style paper or other materials are currently
used. This is partly because washi was the only type of paper available at that time in Japan, but also because the unique
characteristics of washi made it a better material. The different uses of washi include:

Art
Chiyogami – a method of stenciling or screenprinting paper with traditional Japanese designs
Ikebana – the art of flower arrangement, also known as kadō
Inkjet printings
Kami-ito – pure-fiber washi paper spun into thread
Katazome – a method of dyeing fabrics using a resist paste
Kitemaking
Mokuhanga – Japanese art of wood printing
Nihonga – Japanese paintings
Origami – Japanese art of paper folding
Printmaking
Sculpture
Sewing
Shibori – several methods of dyeing cloth with a pattern
Shifu – washi that has been spun into yarn (kami-ito) and woven into cloth
Shodo – Japanese art of calligraphy
Sumi-e – Japanese art of Ink wash painting
Sumingashi – Japanese art of paper marbling
Ukiyo-e – a genre of Japanese woodblock prints
Washi eggs – covering eggs with washi paper
Chigiri-e – using Washi for "painting" pictures
Clothing
Cosplay
Kimono
Obi
Zōri

Cuisine
Tempura

Furniture
Cushion
Futon
Shoji

Objects
Bags
Bento box
Harae-Gushi, the washi whisk used for ritual purification by Shinto priests
Japanese banknotes
Loudspeaker cones. Mitsubishi
Ofuda for Shinto
Plates
Scale models
Toys
Umbrellas
Printing

Events
Japanese festivals
Sumo

Weaponry
Fire balloons

Manufacturers
Gundo gami (Akiruno, Tokyo)
Awa washi (Tokushima)
Ecchu washi (Toyama)
Echizen washi (Echizen, Fukui)
IseWashi (Ise, Mie)
Mino washi (Gifu)
Sekisyū washi (Hamada, Shimane)
Sugihara gami (Taka, Hyōgo)
 Tosa washi (Kochi)
Yame washi (Fukuoka)
Uchiyama gami (Iiyama, Nagano)

See also
Genkō yōshi
Japanese tissue
List of Washi
Sir Harry Parkes
Tissue paper
Ukiyo-e

Notes and references

1. Hughes, Sukey (1978). Washi: the world of Japanese paper. Tokyo: Kodansha International. ISBN 0-87011-318-
6.
2. Government, paper makers welcome addition of ‘washi’ to UNESCO list (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/
11/27/national/japanese-handmade-washi-paper-added-unesco-intangible-heritage-list/)
3. Hughes, Sukey (1978). Washi: the world of Japanese paper. Tokyo: Kodansha International. ISBN 0-87011-318-
6.

Further reading
Hughes, Sukey (1978). Washi: the World of Japanese paper. Tokyo: Kodansha International. ISBN 0-87011-318-
6.
Fukushima, Kurio (1991). Handbook on the Art of Washi. All Japan Handmade Washi Association.

External links
"Washi" (http://www.aisf.or.jp/%7Ejaanus/deta/w/washi.htm). Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.
Washi (http://iweb.tntech.edu/cventura/Washi.htm)

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This page was last edited on 3 July 2019, at 06:30 (UTC).

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