Washi – The Birth of Modern Japanese Handmade Paper

Nara National Museum

This event has ended.

The Nara National Museum presents a follow-up to last year’s Japanese Washi Paper Exhibition. The term washi was first used in the Meiji period to distinguish between Japanese paper and paper made with pulp materials imported from the West. Up through the Edo period, washi was handcrafted with traditional techniques that varied by region, but its low production rates compared to Western paper drove the industry into crisis in the Meiji era. This exhibition explores how modern washi was born and evolved with Genta Yoshii’s technological improvements to the handmade paper-making process in the Meiji period. Washi from and before the Edo period and related documents are also on display.