Date & Time: Sunday, March 5, 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Place: Yokohama Kaminokichiku Center
Participants: Five exchange students at Tokyo Institute of Technology (two from China, one each from Thailand, Malaysia, and Jamaica), Two acquaintances of KSGG member (from America)
Attendants: Seven KSGG members
Languages: English and Japanese
Report by Keiji, KSGG member
KSGG held a Japanese hand-made paper event for the first time in four years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “Washi, craftsmanship of Japanese hand-made paper” was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014. It is a world-renowned technique. Japanese hand-made paper is used for restoration of cultural assets because it has high durability and toughness. It is an environment-friendly product and attracts attention from overseas.
Master Tamura instructed the participants. He makes Japanese paper, and teaches how to do it in university classes and overseas.
The Participants experienced making Japanese paper:
1. Strip the bark of a paper mulberry tree,
2. Scrape the outer black bark and remove the scratch,
3. Pound the fibers.
4. Mix Hibiscus Manihot with the bark and pour the solution into a water tank called “Sukibune,”
5. Flatten the solution on the “Sukibune” to arrange the same level of its thickness.
Master Tamura explained the paper-making procedure very well. The participants enjoyed learning it and sometimes sang labor songs*.
They made a postcard size Japanese paper and a Japanese writing paper. I hope they will use their self-made paper.
* When people were making Japanese paper, they used to sing songs in order to inspire themselves.