Japanese Paper

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76 Southampton Row,

London WC1B 4AR

part of Shepherds Bookbinders

www.bookbinding.co.uk

Western paper is made from fibres such as cotton and processed tree pulp. A high quality artists paper, such a watercolour sheet is made from cotton. Traditional papers, such as those made by Griffen Mill or Ruscombe mill will be made using cotton, linen and flax. These papers, designed to carefully emulate old book, printmaking and art papers are amongst the finest now available. Utility papers and low quality papers such as those used as copy paper, newsprint and soft back books use a processed tree fibre. These are often high in acidic value and as such will quickly discolour and become brittle. Foxing, or brown marks in older books and documents are sometimes due to low quality papers and impurities in the material at the point of manufacture.

Japanese papers, known as Washi (and erroneously known as Rice Paper) use fibres of indigenous plants. As these fibres are so different from western fibres, the qualities of a sheet of washi are very different in both look and tactility. Washi is often translucent and has a warm feel. Traditionally washi was made by farmers and their families during the winter months when working their fields was impossible. Even now, an expert can often tell a 'winter' paper due to its look, feel and even the sound it makes when moved. The making of all paper requires a lot of water. The waters used in the manufacturing of Washi was free of impurities and provided an invaluable quality to these sheets as did the winter sun, bleaching to a pleasing warm white, when drying on boards.

Washi making is a craft in decline in Japan. Some of those still practising are now designated as Living National Treasures, a title bestowed on the finest crafts people to recognise their contribution to skilled processes.

Much washi is now a mass produced item and is often made outside of Japan, causing a degradation in quality in the sheets. Handmade sheets are very much the exception. Families and individuals still involved in the craft tend to make one or two different sheets, and these are often dependent on their location and historical trends. When a washi maker retires or passes away their paper is often no longer available and as such the cost of the sheet will reflect this. Last year, Mr Inoue, the maker of Inoue Haini Kozo passed away and so his paper is available in very limited numbers and costs are at a premium. Many sheets were made for very specific purposes such as ledger paper or for wrapping gold leaf. These papers are now used throughout the world for a wide range of uses; bookbinding, printmaking, chine colle, conservation, hinging to name but a few.

Kozo is the most widely used fibre, found in 90% of all sheets produced. It is also harvested in quantities in Korea in order to satisfy demand. Kozo is the fibre processed from the inside of the bark of the mulberry tree. This is why Japanese paper is often called mulberry paper. Kozo is found in the central-western areas of Japan and the prefectures north of Tokyo. The fibre is long, flexible and strong. The most prized of these are harvested in the winter when the fibres are growing more slowly and offer better strength.

Kozo paper is a versatile paper, useful for block printing, etching, letterpress, silk-screening, hand lithography and chine colle.

Gampi is oldest of the three fibres, is the hardest to use and is the most scarce of all. It only grows in the temperate southern areas of Japan and is generally harvested from the wild. Some gampi is sourced from Taiwan and the Philippines. Gampi is naturally sized and also boasts insect repellent qualities.

Gampi paper is strong, translucent and thin, having a silky quality. It is available in varying weights and colours. It is said to be the dream surface for print making, wood block prints and many other projects.

Gampi paper has superlative beauty and dignity, so is called the king of washi. Its short, thin fibres provides a finely textured, high density paper with a smooth surface.

Mitsumata is the most recently discovered of the three fibres and is hardier than Gampi, although it does belong to the same family. It mainly grows in Shikoku and central Japan particularly on the north-facing slopes of mountain and valleys. It is especially good for relief prints especially when the artist wants soft edges on printed areas rather than very clear definition.

Washi often has other elements introduced during the manufacturing process. This can be clay or incinerated clam shell to add to the colour, texture and nature of the paper. Sometimes sulphite, or wood pulp is added. This can be for several reasons but is more often than not for economical in nature. When washi is made it is often washed in soda ash which can add to the softness.

Firstly, the fibres are processed. The bark is stripped from the inner core and this is done by hand. The peeled bark is then tied into bundles and left to dry before the inner white bark (kurokawa) is separated. The outer bark is removed, traditionally by soaking the bundles in a rivers shallows and trampling them to loosen the outer layer. The inner and outer bark are then separated using a knife on a block. The inner bark is then cleaned to remove any impurities such as bark or dirt and then re-bundled and left to dry.

Further impurities are then removed by boiling, bleaching and picking out by hand. Soluble impurities are then removed by boiling the bark in caustic soda or wood ash. Ash gives a softer colour and feel to the paper. The fibres are then thoroughly cleaned to remove any unwanted chemical impurities. To make pure white paper the fibres are left in the snow or bleached. This can also prevent discolouration in the long run. The fibre, now floating in cold water is picked over by hand to remove the final pieces of unwanted materials. This job traditionally fell to the older women of the village. For the finest sheets this picking process is carried out up to three times to ensure purity.

To give an even length to the fibres they are now separated using a beater. They are now added to water along with neri, a mucilage. Neri thickens the water holds the fibres in suspension. As the liquid drains while forming the sheet of paper, the neri slows the process down, allowing very thin, translucent sheets to be formed. This liquid is poured into a vat, traditionally made from spruce. The sheet is formed on a wooden deckle which is lined with a fine bamboo gauze held together with silk thread. The water drips through the gauze and leaves a sheet of paper resting on the top. The marks of the bamboo can often be seen in the sheet, in the west, called laid lines. In the finest sheets such as gampi, a silk gauze is attached to the bamboo to reduce the texture left on the sheet.

The final stage is to dry each sheet individually. The traditional method is sun drying on wooden boards of pine, cypress or ginko. On some sheets the grain of the board can be clearly seen. One Living National Treasure, a paper maker called Mr Fukunishi, believes a board is unusable for a hundred years due to contaminates and resins present in the wood.

The sheet is brushed onto the board using a soft brush or a camellia leaf for a glossy finish. The side which was face down on the bamboo slats is placed face down onto the board. When the paper is dry, it is smoother than the back where the fibres have been lifted during the brushing.

Washi can be cut using traditional tools such as scissors or a blade, however, a method used in Japan and by conservators is to use a wet, fine brush, trace the line required and part the paper. If the original sheet is deckled then this method gives a softer look.