Washi is a traditional craft of hand-making paper in Japan.
It is practiced in three communities in Japan: Misumi-cho in Hamada City, Shimane Prefecture, Mino City in Gifu Prefecture, and Ogawa Town/Higashi-chichibu Village in Saitama Prefecture.
In many traditional arts, washi is used to create Origami, Shodo, and Ukiyo-e. Washi is typically tougher than ordinary wood-pulp paper.
The spent lye is then removed and then the fibers are bleached (usually by placing them in a protected area of a stream) and any remaining impurities are picked out by hand. The finished product is then laid out and beaten.
In addition to clothing, household goods, and toys, as well as vestments and ritual objects for Shinto priests and Buddha statues, washi has also been used to make wreaths that were given out to Winter Paralympic winners in 1998.
As a result of its thinness, pliability, durability over 1000 years, and its ability to be removed cleanly with moisture, washes are also used to repair historically valuable cultural properties, paintings, and books at museums and libraries around the world. These include the Louvre and the Vatican Museums.
It is made using the fibers of the paper mulberry plant, which are then soaked in river water, thickened, and then filtered through a bamboo screen. As well as being used for letter writing and books, Washi paper is also used to make paper screens, room dividers, and sliding doors.
Almost all of the residents of the three communities contribute to the preservation of this craft by cultivating mulberry trees, training in the techniques, as well as creating new products to promote Washi locally and abroad.
Washi paper making is transmitted in three ways: through families of artisans, through preservation associations, and by local municipalities. Many Washi masters inherit the techniques from their parents. Families and their employees have worked with the masters for generations.
Since the early 20th century, Japanese paper was the only type of paper available in Japan. It was used in applications where other papers were presently used, partly because washi was the only type of paper available in Japan at that time, but also because its unique characteristics allowed it to be a better material.
As of today, all of the people living in washi communities take pride in their tradition of washi-making and regard it as a symbol of their cultural identity. Washi also fosters social cohesion, since communities of people directly involved in or closely related to the practice share the same social values.
References
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washi) (https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/washi-craftsmanship-of-traditional-japanese-hand-made-paper-01001)