Nishijima “Washi”: Transforming Old Fibers into Specialty Art Paper

Nishijima specializes in producing handmade washi art paper that is prized by painters and calligraphers.

After it has been allowed to air-dry, the paper is immersed in water for half a day and then peeled off carefully, one sheet at a time, and dried again on a hot metal plate.

A mix is made from boiled-down strips of old paper, hemp, and rice straw, and a beater is used to produce the short-fibered mash from which Nishijima washi is made.

The suki-geta is shaken to ensure that the materials are evenly mixed and of a uniform consistency (left). The suki-su is removed and freshly made paper moved to the drying area (center). Three hundred sheets are press-dried together (right).

The fibers are too short to allow the paper to be peeled off one sheet at a time, so around 300 sheets are moved together to a well-ventilated place, where they are left to dry for 10 to 20 days.

The papermaking village of Nishijima lies on the banks of the Fuji River, surrounded by mountains and blessed with supplies of fresh water.