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Kurotani Washi is one of the few papermaking villages remaining in Kyoto.
The hand-papermaking technique is believed to be inherited from descendants of defeated Heike’s Samurai.
During the Edo period, owing to many government incentive policies, the papermaking
industry thrived.
In the meantime, being close to then the capital, the geographic proximity made papermaking business heavily connected to many different industries: Kimono tags, paper umbrellas, shoji paper, sliding door paper….and more, bringing in copious orders and resulting in ample hand-made papers product.
Starting from Meiji period, specifically the time after World War Ⅱ, due to the introduction of western paper, the demand of Washi decreased. The lack of skilled-paper maker forced Washi manufacturers around Japan to replace the human hand-papermaking with machines to cope with the challenge.
Kurotani Washi continued applying the all-hand-made papermaking techniques and carried on the original manufacturing procedure. Later becoming one of the very few hand-papermaking manufacturers existing in Japan.
Kyoto Kurotani Washi, collaborating with papermaking experts and scholars, has been continuously exploring more possibilities of Washi, enriching the collections of Kurotani Washi, such as papers for calligraphy and engraving, stationary papers, postcards, dyed paper and delicate paper applications. Since the 1950s, the efforts started to pay off. The name “Kurotani Washi” began to be known internationally.
The Tanba and Tango areas in Kyoto nourishes fine Paper Mulberry trees, with the clean Kurotani River flowing through the area, making the Kurotani area an environment perfect for hand-papermaking.
It is in the exceptional environment, rich natural resources and the belief in the value of hand-made papers, Kurotani Washi walks in its own way, bridging nature and human, abiding by the principles but not drifting with the time, and combing artisans’ outstanding skills with vital natural elements, bringing the world, the Kurotani Washi.
If you are interested in making your original washi paper, please contact us.
KUROTANI WASHI Handmade Paper Workshop
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KUROTANI WASHI Handmade Paper Workshop
