See & Do

Encounters with New Washi (Japanese traditional paper “washi”)

Washi paper has supported Japanese life and culture. At Hinode Washi in Hinode-machi, Nishi-tama-gun, you can experience “papermaking,” a casual way of making washi.

Originally, making washi required a complicated process and skilled techniques, but Hinode-Washi has arranged the papermaking method so that even beginners can experience it in two to three hours, incorporating modern techniques.

Nevertheless, the technique is authentic. The process begins with peeling and pounding kouzo, the raw material used to make washi, to make fibers that are then used to make the raw material for papermaking.

Once the fibers are made, they can be transformed into white washi paper, handmade postcards, book covers, and many other types of “washi.”

Why not see feel the phrase “Paper is made of from a wood” come to life through a hands-on experience.

• Address: 6436 Oguno, Hinode-machi, Nishi-Tama-gun, Tokyo, 190-0181
• URL: https://hinodewashi.tokyo/