Washi

For other uses, seeWashi (disambiguation).

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Washi (和紙) is traditional Japanesepaper processed by hand using fibers from the inner bark of thegampi tree, themitsumata shrub (Edgeworthia chrysantha), or thepaper mulberry (kōzo) bush.^[1]

Washi is generally tougher than ordinary paper made fromwood pulp, and is used in many traditional arts.Origami,shodō, andukiyo-e were all produced usingwashi.Washi was also used to make various everyday goods like clothes, household goods, and toys, as well as vestments and ritual objects forShinto priests and statues ofBuddha. It was even used to makewreaths that were given to winners in the1998 Winter Paralympics.Washi is also used to repair historically valuable cultural properties, paintings, and books at museums and libraries around the world, such as theLouvre and theVatican Museums, because of its thinness, pliability, durability over 1000 years due to its low impurities, and high workability to remove it cleanly with moisture.^[2]^[3]^[4]

As aJapanese craft, it is registered as a UNESCOintangible cultural heritage.^[5]

History

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Washi-making atIse, Mie

By the 7th century, paper had been introduced to Japan from China via the Korean Peninsula, and the Japanese developed washi by improving the method of making paper in theHeian period. The paper making technique developed in Japan around 805 to 809 was callednagashi-suki (流し漉き), a method of addingmucilage to the process of the conventionaltame-suki (溜め漉き) technique to form a stronger layer of paper fibers.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] The improved washi came to be used to decorate religious ceremonies such asgohei,ōnusa (ja:大麻 (神道)), andshide atShinto shrines,^[6] and in the Heian period, washi covered with gold and silver leaf beautifully decorated books such asKokin Wakashu.^[8]

In theMuromachi period, washi came to be used asceremonial origami forsamurai class at weddings and when giving gifts,^[6] and from theSengoku period to theEdo period,recreational origami such asorizuru developed.^[10] During the Edo period, many books andukiyo-e prints for the masses made of washi were published usingwoodblock printing.^[11]

Manufacture

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Origami cranes made ofwashi

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 inhibitsbacteria, preventing the decomposition of thefibres. 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.

Paper mulberry is the most commonly used fiber in making Japanese paper. The mulberry branches are boiled and stripped of their outer bark, and then dried. The fibers are then boiled withlye to remove thestarch,fat andtannin, and then placed in running water to remove the spent lye. The fibers are thenbleached (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 product is laid on a rock or board and beaten.

Wet balls of pulp are mixed in a vat with water and a formation aid to help keep the long fibers spread evenly. This is traditionallyneri, which is amucilaginous material made from the roots of thetororo aoi plant, or PEO,polyethylene oxide. 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

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Applications

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Until the early 20th century, the Japanese usedwashi 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.^{[citation needed]}

Washi is also used inwatch dials.^[13]