Japanese washi paper

Making washi paper is held in winter after plants used as raw materials are harvested from autumn to winter.

An exhibition showed Rembrandt's 30 prints on Japanese washi paper last year. He used a type of Japanese washi paper called ganpi-shi(雁皮紙) for his 80 prints around 1647. The non-Catholic Dutch were allowed to maintain trade relations even during a period of national isolation. So washi papers were also exported to the Netherlands.
Many of today's Japanese copperplate engraving artists use ganpi-shi.

Ganpi-shi is made from the bark of ganpi(雁皮, Diplomorpha sikokiana). It was called "pearl paper" because it is thin and smooth-faced. Since ganpi is difficult to cultivate, we have to depend on wild ganpi trees. So real ganpi papers are rarely offered in markets.
Now most "ganpi-shi" papers contain another materials for washi such as kouzo(楮) and oriental paperbush(三椏, mitsumata).

Oriental paperbush(三椏, mitsumata)

Oriental paperbush trees bloom from mid-March to April in my area.  It's also one of garden species. Gampi and oriental paperbush are relatives of Winter Daphne.

Its bark is used as the material of Japanese banknote paper even now. Because it is wrinkle-resistant, takes ink well and is not nearly damaged by worms.

Japanese banknotes do not disintegrate when washed, so many wet notes were brought to the Bank of Japan in tsunami-hit areas. The bank's staffs washed muddy, oily or salty notes by hand and dried them.

Mitsumata(三椏) means three-way fork. The tree is called so because each branch of the tree divides into three branches.


kouzo(male flower)


Kouzo(楮, Broussonetia kazinoki × B. papyrifera)

Kouzo belongs to the mulberry family.




kouzo(fruits)



kouzo(bark)



Aibika (Abelmoschu manihot Medik)

This plant is called tororoaoi(黄蜀葵) in Japan. Extracts from the root of aibika is used to make washi.


photo by 「季節の花 ３００」






machine-made version of Echizen-washi paper

 Washi paper has been made throughout Japan. Most of washi papers on the market are made by machine.

Among them, Echizen-washi(越前和紙) in Fukui Prefecture, Mino-washi(美濃和紙) in Gifu Prefecture and Tosa-washi(土佐和紙) in Kochi Prefecture are known as three major producers of Japanese washi paper.
 


machine-made version of Echizen-washi paper


The Japanese washi paper has been used to repair cultural properties such as paintings, ancient documents and prints around the world because of its softness and durability.
Thin washi papers such as ganpi-shi are pasted up on the worn and battered papers. You can see the old papers through pasted washi paper.
Thick washi paper is used to patch disbound pages or reinforce seams of books.

handmade tengujo-shi

 Tengujo-shi (典具帖紙) is a type of Japanese washi paper which developed in Tosa(土佐, now Kochi Prefecture). It is made from kouzo and is called "the wing of mayfly".
This paper is transparent.

handmade Tengujo-shi

 This type of washi paper was used to restore the painting which Michelangelo painted on the wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican.


handmade Tengujo-shi

The paper also served for the restoration of ukiyo-e and boooks at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
 




There are many types of Japanese wash paper. I have only few types of them.



unryu washi(雲龍和紙)


This paper is transparent.

this pattern is made via pressing paper between carved boards.
This type of washi is called Itajime(板締め).



block‐printed washi paper



paper dyed in gradations of color



Compared with paper made from wood pulp, Japanese washi paper have longer fiber. You can fluff edges of washi paper by tearing with hands.

chigiri-e

Chigiri-e(ちぎり絵) is a kind of torn paper collage. Fluffy edge make the collage look like a watercolor painting.

A paper patchwork called tsugigami(継ぎ紙) was popular in the Heian Period.  Nobles preferred writing papers made by splicing together straight or squiggly cut pieces of various washi papers.
 



Choju-jinbutsu-giga
A frog and a rabbit are having a sumo bout.

 
On February 15th in 2011, the Kyoto National Museum announced that it made a new discovery about the picture scrolls called Caricatures of Animals and Humans (鳥獣人物戯画, Choju-jinbutsu-giga).

The scrolls belonging to Kozan-ji temple in Kyoto were drawn from the 12th to the 13th centuries and have been designated a national treasure.



rabbit lost

  Pictures were originally drawn on both sides of paper about one of the scrolls and the paper was divided into two sheets by peeling away a layer of the paper.  It is thought that the scroll was originally a practice piece.

frog won



another rabbit is watching the bout in amusement


This technique is called aihagi(相剥) and is used to divide one ink-wash painting on washi paper into two paintings. This is possible because Chinese ink seeps down into the washi paper and washi paper has many layers. The lower layer of the paper is lighter in color than the upper layer, but it's not fake.









rabbit goes fishing



rabbit is going to run an errand



dancing frog



rabbit with arrows



rabbit goes walk the deer
















rabbit goes after a monkey



monkey is followed by rabbit












washi-making process

1. Steam and unbark branches of Kouzo or Mitsumata trees after harvesting them from November to January.
2. Soak the bark in water overnight.
3. Scrape off dark outer bark with a knife.
4. Immerse white inner bark in ice water or expose it to the sun. In snowy regions, place it on the snow.
5. Boil it for 2 or 3 hours.
6. Nervously remove the dirt by hand after washing it with water.
7. Make pulpy material by beating it with a wooden hammer or the machine.


paper making of Awa(present-day Tokushima Prefecture) washi

8. Scoop wet, pulpy material containing extracts from aibika's roots with a wood-framed bamboo(or reed) screen and shake the screen to spread the material. Make paper by repeating this procedure several times. Stack the wet paper in layers.

9. Squeeze out the water from stacks of the paper by presser.
10. Peel a sheet off of each stack and put it on board.
11. Dry sheets of paper by exposing them to the sun.
12. Sort and cut out them.

Raw material producers are aging. Most of them harvest and process plants for the material on the side during agricultural off-season, but the plants require increased care need to be looked after from spring to summer.  These works place a burden on them.

snow

In Yokohama, the first ice of the year has been seen on December 25th. We had the first frost on December 18th. It snowed in many areas.

Hatsuyuki(初雪:first snow of the season)

Komoriyuki(こもり雪)

Nadare-yukiwa(なだれ雪輪)

下中菜穂,「切り紙　もんきり遊び」,株式会社宝島社,2007年,P.10,11.

Nabo Shimonaka, Kirigami Monkiri-asobi,(Tokyo:TAKARAJIMASHA,Inc.,2007),P.10,11.

The 11th lord of the Koga Domain, Doi Toshitsura(土井 利位) published "Sekka Zusetsu(雪華図説)" in 1833. He observed snow crystals under a microscope and outlined them through illustrations in his book.

Yukiwa(雪輪) is a traditional design that represents snow.


Winter vacation started at schools.

I've found a blossom of the Japanese apricot in my garden.

People used to leave only one kaki fruit on the tree to pray for an abundant harvest.  The kaki fruit is called Kimamori(木守).
Dried persimmons are available from mid-December.

Hitomaro(人麻呂)

These confections represent dried persimmons.

the Chrysanthemum Exhibition

Yellow sand has blown to western Japan today.
Many policemen are on guard in the town center of Yokohama due to APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation).

 Chrysanthemum flower exhibitions are being held in various regions.

Shinjuku Gyoen Kikka-ten (Chrysanthemum Exhibition) is being held at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo between 9 am and 4 pm from November 1st to 15th. The admission fee is 200 yen.

 In the Edo Period, it was said that chrysanthemum flowers were at their peak four or five days after Rittou(the first day of winter, November 7th this year) and people enjoyed seeing those flowers in the gardening districts.


chrysanthemum figure(菊人形,kiku-ningyo）wears a costume made of chrysanthemum flowers or leaves. An old book says that chrysanthemum works like topiary were very popular in Edo Period.

My father made an attempt on triple cordon of chrysanthemums, but it was difficult to grow three flowers in a balanced fashion. So he gave up soon.

菊袋　デザイン/芝田美恵子
"drawstring　pouch in the shape of chrysanthemum" designed by Mieko Shibata

Shigeyoshi Inoue ed.,Wa-no-Nunoasobi-chirimenzaiku,(Tokyo:ONdori Sha,2003),P.9
井上重義監修,和の布遊びちりめん細工,雄鶏社,2003,P.9

Jogewari-kikuhishi(上下割り菊菱)

Kamuro-giku(禿菊)

下中菜穂,「切り紙　もんきり遊び」,株式会社宝島社,2007年,P.9,20
Nabo Shimonaka, Kirigami Monkiri-asobi,(Tokyo:TAKARAJIMASHA,Inc.,2007),P.9,20

Meiboku Sendai Hagi

We eat o-hagi(or botamochi) at Higan in spring and autumn. It's called ohagi in the season for hagi(萩:Lespedeza or Japanese bush clover).

Maru ni Kyumaihagi(丸に九枚萩)
Nine leaves of Japanese bush clover in a circle

Hanatsuki Dakihagi(花付き抱き萩)
Blossoming Japanese bush clover

下中菜穂,「切り紙　もんきり遊び」,株式会社宝島社,2007年,P.13,23
Nabo Shimonaka, Kirigami Monkiri-asob(Tokyo:TAKARAJIMASHA,Inc.,2007),P.13,23





The Japanese bush clovers in Sendai(仙台) are now at their peak.

We associate Sendai with Date Masamune (伊達 政宗,1567-1636), who was a fearsome warlord during the Warring States period and the early Edo period. He was also called dokuganryu(独眼竜,one-eyed dragon) because of loss of the right eye due to smallpox.
He was the first lord of the Sendai Domain and formed the basis of today's Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture.

"Meiboku Sendai Hagi(伽羅先代萩)" is a kabuki or bunraku play based on the internal strife in the Sendai Domain between 1660 and 1671. It was premiered as a kabuki play in 1777 and as a bunraku play in 1785.

The actual incident like this.
After the 3rd lord of the Sendai Domain was deposed by feudal lords related to him due to his debauchery, Date Tsunamura(伊達 綱村) became the 4th lord of the Sendai Domain. His granduncles who were the feudal lords of another domains had real power as guardians for him because he was only two years old.

However, the domain were mired in confusion because there was internal strife. A chief retainer and one of his granduncles strove to build a centralized governance structure, and some members of the Date clan strove to maintain the decentralization of power. The domain was divided into two factions by infighting over policy differences.

In 1666, the lord was nearly killed with poison. 
In addition, when a territorial dispute among two factions arose, the Sendai Domain gave an award against a member of the Date clan. The member appealed to the Edo Shogunate.  Edo Shogunate summoned relevant people to the chief minister's house for trial on the 27th day of the 3rd month in 1671. The chief retainer of the Sendai Domain killed the member of the Date clan, and the chief retainer and a faction member of the Date clan killed each other.

Only people belonging to the faction of the lord's granduncle were punished. All the men of the chief retainer's family including infants, adopted child to other homes were forced to commit suicide. The lord escaped punishment due to his tender age.


The highlight of this play is the suffering of Masaoka(政岡) who is torn between love for her child and loyalty to her lord.
Masaoka is the wet nurse of her young lord. Her little son also serves the lord. She prevents her lord from eating served meals for fear of poisoning and boiled rice with utensils for tea cerremony.

She is a mother but the guardian of her lord. Her lord is a child but the lord of the domain. His son is a child but a retainer. While she praises her lord, she gets toughs with her son.

Wives of a shogunate high-ranking official and a member of the domain visit the lord. Actually, they feel hostile toward the lord and give him poisoned confections as a gift from the shogun. Masaoka keeps him from eating them, but the wives blame her on suspecting a gift from the shogun.

Then, his son obeys his mother's instructions. He comes running up to the confections, and he eats them.  One of the wives stabs his son suffering from poison with a dagger on plea of terrible discourtesy to avoid detection. Masaoka desperately tries to stay calm without getting upset.
When being left alone there, she displays her grief in the face of her dead son.

We can't understand her. But kabuki actors and bunraku puppeteers say that Masaoka is a challenging role.


Chinese characters "伽羅" are commonly read "kyara." Kyara(伽羅, aloes-wood) is a high-quality agarwood(沈香, jinkou). The 3rd lord of the Sendai clan went to brothels very often, wearing precious wooden clogs made of aloes-wood.
Sendai Hagi(先代萩) comes from the former(先代, sendai) lord's favorite Lespedeza buergeri(木萩, kihagi).　

Female servants of warrior families are allowed to return home during the Doll's Festival. This play used to be performed for them in the 3rd month.


By the way, there is a sequel to the incident.
In 1923, a covenant under joint signatures was discovered In the attic of a temple. The covenant says that a Buddhist memorial service for the chief retainer was held at the temple six years after his death and 139 of his former retainers attended it. Memorial service for him has been held at the temple every year.

The name of the chief retainer is Harada Kai(原田甲斐), who is named Nikki Danjou (仁木弾正) in the play. He gets categorized as a devil in the play, but there are strong doubts about whether Harada Kai who endeared him to many people was a villain.

Many people gather from the covenant that there were complicated circumstances behind the incident.

Jugoya(full moon night)

It's very hot today. Temperatures have reached 33 degrees Celsius in Yokohama and have reached over 35 degrees Celsius in several areas.

Jugoya(十五夜) means the night or the moon on the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar(corresponding to September 22nd of this year in the Gregorian calendar).
We can see clear full moon tonight. Jupiter is near the moon.

Moon Viewing on this day derives from the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, but we celebrate another moon viewing named Jusanya(十三夜) on the the 13th day of the 9th month in the lunar calendar. The event is unique to Japan and is also called Mame-meigetsu(豆名月, bean harvest moon）or Kuri-meigetsu(栗名月, chestnut harvest moon).

Jugoya is also called Imomeigetsu (芋名月) or "Potato harvest moon", so these confections contain potatoes.

Potato Manju(ぽてと饅頭):

confection using potato

Oimosan(おいもさん):

confection using sweet potato

Usagi Manju(うさぎ饅頭: rabbit-shaped steamed buns filled with bean paste)

"Where do rabbits live, earth, moon or sun?"
A guest had to answer the question within five seconds on a TV quiz program.  He said, "Moon!"
Of course, answer to the quiz is earth, but rabbits are strongly connected to the moon in Japan. We see rabbit pounding steamed rice on the moon surface.

It comes from an Indian mythology. A rabbit without having a specialty was not able to do good for an old man, so it gave the meat of itself to him by drowning itself into the fire. The old man was Taishakuten (帝釈天, Śakra in Sanskrit), and he placed the charred rabbit on the moon surface.

ハートシリーズ　デザイン・制作/石津喜代子
"heart Series" designed by Kiyoko Ishizu

Full moon, Japanese pampas grass and Tsukimi Dango

Nobuaki Seto(ed), Oheya ni Kazaru Wafu no Mini quilt(Tokyo:Nihon Vogue-sha,1994),P.50.
瀬戸信昭編集,お部屋に飾る和布のミニキルト(東京:日本ヴォーグ社,1996年),P.50.

抱き薄
Daki Susuki (Japanese pampas grass )

対い兎
Mukai Usagi




下中菜穂,「切り紙　もんきり遊び」,株式会社宝島社,2007年,P.7,12
Nabo Shimonaka, Kirigami Monkiri-asobi,(Tokyo:TAKARAJIMASHA,Inc.,2007),P.7,12