Washi can become a translucent screen, a sheet for writing or a paper selected for conservation. Those tasks call for different properties. This guide introduces traditional hand papermaking alongside modern production; Nippon.com’s overview gives further background.
Image note: These are editorial illustrations, not photographs of a named workshop, fibre sample, or conservation treatment. They cannot identify paper composition or establish conservation suitability; check the papermaker’s specifications and consult a conservator for treatment choices.
What is washi?
Washi (和紙) means Japanese paper. It includes traditional handmade papers as well as modern machine-made products and blends. The name alone does not specify a fibre, manufacturing method or quality grade.
Kōzo (paper mulberry), mitsumata and gampi bast fibres are important traditional materials. Their properties and the way they are processed help determine the finished sheet. Some papers are thin and translucent; others are thick, opaque, coloured or coated.
Cooking, beating, sheet formation, additives and finishing affect the result alongside fibre choice. Awagami’s FAQ describes both hand and machine production, including papers made with bast fibres.
The three fibers: kozo, mitsumata, and gampi
Three important traditional fibres have distinct characteristics:
- Kōzo (楮), paper mulberry. Its comparatively long fibres can form strong, flexible sheets. It is the fibre used in Sekishū-banshi, Hon-minoshi and Hosokawa-shi.
- Mitsumata (三椏). Fine fibres can give a smooth sheet with a gentle sheen, used for printing and stationery.
- Gampi (雁皮). Often used for smooth, lustrous papers. Its shorter fibres require different handling from kōzo; the best choice depends on the intended use.
Cooking, washing and beating separate the bark fibres into a papermaking furnish or pulp. “Pulp” describes the prepared material here too; it is not limited to wood-based machine paper.
Choosing paper for a task
Ask what the sheet contains, its weight and finish, and what use the maker recommends. Handmade and machine-made papers can both be suitable, depending on those properties.
For a repair or long-term contact with artwork, obtain specific composition and suitability information. Decorative wrapping paper should not be used as conservation paper on appearance or origin alone.
What affects longevity?
Some Japanese papers have survived for centuries, but their lifespan depends on fibre preparation, sizing, pigments, acidity, light, humidity and handling. Conservators choose papers for a particular treatment rather than using any sheet labelled washi.
For a print, letter or lampshade, match the paper to its intended use and protect it from unsuitable conditions. A flexible, attractive sheet can still fade, weaken or be damaged by moisture.
How washi is made (in brief)
In nagashizuki, cooked and beaten fibres are suspended in water with neri, a formation aid traditionally obtained from tororo-aoi roots. The maker uses a bamboo screen (su) in a frame to scoop and move the suspension, building a sheet through repeated passes. Sheets are then pressed, dried and finished.
Winter is important for kōzo harvesting and some traditional work, but paper is also made at other times of year. Our companion piece on Hosokawa-shi, the UNESCO paper of the Ogawa valley, follows one regional tradition.
Where washi shows up in daily life
Paper has long served everyday purposes in Japan, from screens and room partitions to lamps, fans and letters. Different grades and finishes suit different uses:
- Interiors. Paper for shōji and lampshades can diffuse light.
- Writing and gifts. Stationery, envelopes, wrapping and kaishi, the small folded papers used in tea.
- Art and craft. Origami, calligraphy, printmaking and decorative papers.
- Conservation. Selected papers provide backing or repairs for books, prints and paintings.
Is washi still made today?
Handmade washi remains a living craft. UNESCO’s 2014 inscription brought together Sekishū-banshi in Shimane, Hon-minoshi in Gifu and Hosokawa-shi in Saitama. In 2025 it expanded to include Echizen Torinoko paper from Fukui, a gampi-paper tradition. See the UNESCO record and Fukui Prefecture’s announcement. This recognises specific craft traditions, not every sheet sold as washi.
FAQ
Is washi the same as rice paper?
“Rice paper” is used loosely for several different products. Traditional kōzo paper uses bark fibre, not rice. Some contemporary Japanese papers contain rice straw or other blends, so check the stated composition.
References: papermaker information and the UNESCO and Fukui heritage records linked above. Heritage recognition concerns specific craft traditions, not a performance rating for every sheet.
