Passing on the craft and sharing the appeal of washi: Interview with the Jindai Washi Preservation Society
We interviewed Nakada Sarasa and Tsuchiya Shunsuke of the “Jindai Washi Preservation Society,” which makes washi using traditional methods at the Paper Museum, a tourist facility that serves as its base.
We asked them about the circumstances behind the society’s establishment and the appeal of making washi.
From one successor to a preservation society joined by fellow members
Could you tell us how the Jindai Washi Preservation Society was established?
Nakada (surname only)
It was established in 2016. It’s only been five years. (As of 2021)
The history of Oku-Bichu Jindai Washi is said to date back to the Heian period, and there seem to have been several households making paper.
But during the Meiji period, Western paper rose to prominence with industrialization, and the tradition of washi in this area came to an end.
The construction of the Paper Museum in 1991 sparked its revival.
To enable visitors to learn papermaking at the facility, staff at the time, including Machiko Chuta, who is also a current member of the preservation society, were apparently taught by a washi maker from Takao in Niimi City, who made Takao Washi.
It’s said that the papermaking technique originally passed from Jindai to Takao, so this was like importing it back.
Machiko Chuta is 85 years old and loves making paper.
After that, Chuta was the only one who could make paper using traditional techniques for a while, but she taught us, and gradually more people joined.
We established the Jindai Washi Preservation Society to keep the tradition alive.
In addition to members who make paper, we currently have seven members working to preserve Oku-Bichu Jindai Washi, including people skilled at making tools from bamboo, carpenters, and people good at public relations.
The appeal of washi lies in the care it takes to make
What has it been like making washi?
Nakada
I realized just how much hands-on work goes into it. That makes me feel, “People in the past really wanted to make paper enough to go to all this trouble,” and I find it fascinating and enjoyable.
There’s no waste in the process itself, and it feels as though I’m learning from people of the past.
Tsuchiya (surname only)
When you actually try it, it’s difficult even to make paper that isn’t lumpy, let alone get the thickness even.
At first, I struggled because I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t going well.
Nakada
In my first year, I could only make a few sheets.
Tsuchiya
We even filmed the process to analyze it, but when you think that people in the past didn’t have video technology and must have taken even longer to master it, it’s amazing.
What kind of activities does the preservation society carry out?
Tsuchiya
We make paper from November to March, during the winter.
We buy kozo and mitsumata, but grow tororo-aoi ourselves in May and harvest it in November. We do everything from crushing the roots to extract the mucilage.
We boil the kozo and mitsumata, remove impurities in cold water, and make washi using traditional methods, avoiding chemical bleaching as much as possible.
If you spread the bark out on the snow, its natural whiteness comes out beautifully.
Nakada
In summer, we plan events and workshops. Recently, we’ve also been focusing on developing products.
I think that to preserve a tradition, it’s important not only to learn the techniques but also to think about how to get people to use it. If no one uses it, the tradition will die out.
Tsuchiya
This is a coffee filter. We developed it because we thought washi made using traditional methods would work well with food.
Going forward, alongside mastering the techniques, we want to keep finding ways to help people appreciate the feel and depth of handmade washi.
From the Writer
Washi is made with care through many steps. Each sheet seems to convey the maker’s feelings.
It made me reflect on my own life and think, “Let’s take good care of the things around us.”
The tradition of handmade washi, which had once died out because it was “too labor-intensive” amid industrialization, is now being revived and passed on, with even that labor being cherished.
I’m looking forward to seeing what kinds of products and events emerge in the future.
Why not visit the Paper Museum and experience the depth of making washi by hand?
Yumesuki Park Paper Museum details
| Name | Yumesuki Park Paper Museum |
|---|---|
| Location | 1977-1 Shimojindai, Shingo, Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 0867-92-6577 |
| Parking | Available |
| Hours | 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (papermaking experience until 4:30 p.m.) |
| Closed | Wednesday |
| Admission (tax included) | ◆Experience fee (per group) ・1–15 people: ¥1,500 (materials fee charged separately) ・16 or more people: ¥2,500 (materials fee charged separately) ◆Materials fee (per sheet) ・Hand fan (¥600, tax included) ・Colored paper (¥500, tax included) ・Postcard (¥300, tax included) |
| Payment methods |
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| Reservations | Available Experiences require advance reservations. Groups of two or more accepted. For one person, two or more courses must be booked. Experience details can also be changed on the day. |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilets |
| Website | Yumesuki Park | Niimi City Tourist Association |
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