The Maker Speaks
Inshu-washi
Popular for the Calligraphy Paper
Popular for the Calligraphy Paper
Hello, everyone. I'm so glad to be with you here. Now I'm talking about Inshu-washi (Inshu Japanese Paper). It is a kind of Japanese paper produced in the east part of Tottori. I guess most people don't know where it is in Japan. The prefecture is about 300 miles away west from Tokyo. It is said they mainly use mitsumata and kozo as the ingredients of the paper.
All over Japan, there are countless areas where they have produced washi (Japanese paper). But most of them are almost at their last gasp. The washi demand has been on the decrease after the war, since today we can easily get cheaper paper (like western paper) as much as we want. Few need trouble to buy expensive paper like washi. Each washi maker had to try to survive somehow.
Inshu-washi makers had to try, too. They decided to go as producers of the paper for calligraphy in 1950's. In early 1950's, GHQ took American occupation policy away from Japan, which made calligraphy revive in Japanese jr. school learning process. Tottori people found it. Finally, the Inshu-washi is still popular for the calligraphy paper. They say about 60 % of the whole is made in Tottori today.
They also say Inshu-washi was the first (oldest) paper in Japan. But we can find no evidence. Nobody has Time-machine yet. One theory says the oldest washi was made in Fukui. Nobody can check it out actually. One certain thing is that we don't get where paper was first made, isn't it?
All over Japan, there are countless areas where they have produced washi (Japanese paper). But most of them are almost at their last gasp. The washi demand has been on the decrease after the war, since today we can easily get cheaper paper (like western paper) as much as we want. Few need trouble to buy expensive paper like washi. Each washi maker had to try to survive somehow.
Inshu-washi makers had to try, too. They decided to go as producers of the paper for calligraphy in 1950's. In early 1950's, GHQ took American occupation policy away from Japan, which made calligraphy revive in Japanese jr. school learning process. Tottori people found it. Finally, the Inshu-washi is still popular for the calligraphy paper. They say about 60 % of the whole is made in Tottori today.
They also say Inshu-washi was the first (oldest) paper in Japan. But we can find no evidence. Nobody has Time-machine yet. One theory says the oldest washi was made in Fukui. Nobody can check it out actually. One certain thing is that we don't get where paper was first made, isn't it?
