Rough Guide To Making 'Japanese' Paper...

Before getting to the paper making workshop, we made a quick stop in this amazing Japanese style house located in Yame. We went to this little town in the country side, about an hour away from Fukuoka city, with a sensei from school that offers these one day themed trips to different places a few times a month...


This house is actually owned by this sensei's family, and dates back to the Meiji period! (1868-1912)


main perspective from the entrance...with the sliding doors mostly opened.


main living space...and of course, no shoes on the tatami!


view on the surrounding hallway and part of the outside garden...


This is the paper making factory/workshop...also situated in Yame.


Step 1: take the bark off the tree, only the skin...


Step 2: then you take the color out of the bark by letting it sit in solution outside in big tubs...(days/months)


Step 3: after letting it sit, you drain the water leaving you with a pasty, fibery material (white/beige)...


Step 4: then you go through a flattening process, making it more compact...


Step 5: once enough fiber, they are again mixed with a water based liquid, and spread out on a flat mold to dry depending on the sheet template...


Step 5': stacked on top of each other...separated by a thin piece of string at one end...


Step 6: then once a stack is finished, they are then ironed (by any family member, yes), low heated and 'cooked' into thin sheets...


Step 7: And finally, dried, the paper comes out like this...


perhaps in different arrays of colors...


and also used to make many things from art canvas', wallets and such, and even into cute little gifts!