Materials

Yoshino area in Nara prefecture is a land of cultivated forests of cypress and cedar. The cultivating history is said to be over 500 years, and there are 300 year old woods here and there.

The climate here is warm, mild and humid. The lumbers from the trees are straightforward, gentle and mild, and yet rigid.

It’s so impressive to see these trees grow neatly in order to create the steep mountain forests.

Matterials of traditional paper "washi" are shrubs like "kozo"(paper mulberry), "mitsumata"(oriental paper bush) and "ganpi". When skimmed into paper, each one shows different touch and taste.

"ganpishi" (ganpi-paper) among all is frequently referred as "the king of washi" for its outstanding gloss, transparent beauty and its remarkable strength.