Was.h.i.+ (和紙) is traditional j.a.panese . The word "was.h.i.+" comes from wa meaning 'j.a.panese' and s.h.i.+ meaning 'paper'. The term is used to describe paper that uses local fiber, processed by hand and made in the traditional manner. Was.h.i.+ is made using fibers from the inner bark of the tree, the shrub (Edgeworthia chrysantha), or the (kōzo) bush. [1] As a it registered as a UNESCO .[2]

Was.h.i.+ is generally tougher than ordinary paper made from , and is used in many traditional arts. , , and were all produced using was.h.i.+. Was.h.i.+ was also used to make various everyday goods like clothes, household goods, and toys as well as vestments and ritual objects for priests and statues of . It was even used to make that were given to winners in the . Several kinds of was.h.i.+, referred to collectively as , are used in the conservation and mending of books.

Contents

1 Manufacture

2 Types

3 Applications

3.1 Art

3.2 Clothing

3.3 Cuisine

3.4 Furniture

3.5 Objects

3.6 Events

3.7 Weaponry

4 Manufacturers

5 See also

6 Notes and references

7 Further reading

8 External links

Manufacture[]

Was.h.i.+ 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 was.h.i.+. Cold inhibits , preventing the decomposition of the . 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 , is the most commonly used fiber in making j.a.panese paper. The kozo branches are boiled and stripped of their outer bark, and then dried. The fibers are then boiled with to remove the , and , and then placed in running water to remove the lye. The fibers are then (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 b.a.l.l.s 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 ) and one of two traditional methods of paper making (nagas.h.i.+-zuki or tame-zuki) is employed. In both methods, pulp is scooped onto a screen and shaken to spread the fibers evenly. Nagas.h.i.+-zuki (which uses neri in the vat) produces a thinner paper, while tame-zuki (which does not use neri) produces a thicker paper.

With enough processing, almost any gra.s.s or tree can be made into a was.h.i.+. Gampi, mitsumata, and paper mulberry are three popular sources.[3]

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