Washi, from Harvest to Art

Made with the magic of an outsider's touch.

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November 10, 2024 3:00pm

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Tools of the Trade: Creating Japanese Washi, from Plant to Paper

Washi paper holds a prominent place in Japanese culture, with a history of being used in traditional arts, ritual objects, and household goods—it's served as the foundation for everything from origami and calligraphy to clothing and toys. During Team Musubi's summer visit to Toyama Prefecture, we were invited to visit washi artisan Kawahara Takakuni's home-slash-workshop, where we got an exclusive look into how he uses washi to create art unlike any other.

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Visiting Toyama's Master Craftspeople: Two Potters and a Washi Artisan

Kawahara Takakuni, the washi master featured in our Tools of the Trade video above, was one of three skilled artisans we were honored to meet during our trip to Toyama's picturesque countryside. Generally, artisans are very private, with many workshops not open to the public, but the stars aligned and we were able to meet with Kawahara as well as two potters. Read on for a rare look inside these spaces.