Handmade in Japan since around the 17th century, washi, which translates as ‘Japanese paper’, has become something of a national treasure. The ancient art form of its production traditionally sees ...

Washi paper has been used as a "thread" for clothing and is beginning to be used in a variety of fabrics. Originally, washi paper is a material that has been nurtured in Japan's four-season climate.

Small-scale workshops making washi by hand could once be found all over Japan. But the arrival of modern machinery as the country opened to the West in the late nineteenth century led to a rapid ...

Once an indispensable part of daily life in Japan, ultra-thin washi paper was used for everything from writing and painting to lampshades, umbrellas, and sliding doors, but demand has plunged as ...

Paper has been an intimate part of Japanese culture for more than a millennium. Handmade washi paper has a warm texture, as well as a resilience and durability that belie its remarkable thinness.

Washi is traditionally handmade from plant fibres dissolved in water and strained through a bamboo filter. Thanks to its durability, Ogawa-washi was long appreciated by holy men, who would use it to ...

Every summer, giant warriors roam the Japanese city of Aomori. Lit from within by lanterns, these formidable paper floats are the centerpiece of the Nebuta Matsuri, a weeklong evening festival in ...

The traditional hand-made paper is manufactured from plants called kozo, or mulberry, which has fibres that are much longer than materials used for paper in the west such as wood and cotton. Once an ...

Once an indispensable part of daily life in Japan, ultra-thin washi paper was used for everything from writing and painting to lampshades, umbrellas, and sliding doors, but demand has plunged as ...