Japanese Traditional Handicrafts Washi and Washi Lantern

Washi is a generic term for Japanese paper made by traditional techniques, as opposed to imported Western paper. Washi is usually made from the fibers of wild goose skin, mulberry or paper mulberry, but it can also be made from bamboo, hemp, rice stalks and straw. The technique of hand-lifting Japanese paper was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2014.

The advantages of Japanese paper over industrially produced foreign paper are that it has longer fibers, is more resilient, lasts longer, and feels better in the hand. But because it is handmade, the production is small and the price is high. Because of its toughness and longevity, it was widely used in the Edo period for window and door partitions, kimonos, bedding, lamps, and so on. And now, although the practical function has been compared to industrial products, but still widely appear in a variety of crafts, such as Japanese paintings, woodcut, flower arrangement, and we are going to talk about the next and the lamp.

There are many different types of Japanese paper, and each one is produced in a different style in different places, so I can only give you a few examples.

There are many different uses for Japanese paper, and today we are going to introduce you to "Wadamono", which is made from traditional Japanese washi paper.

Washi lamps are traditional Japanese lighting tools whose shades are made of Japanese paper. The light emitted through the paper is particularly elegant, and with the texture of Japanese paper, the presence of the lamp makes the whole atmosphere of the space more gentle. Although tradition is not so much emphasized nowadays, the perseverance of Japanese craftsmen year after year allows us to see the beautifully crafted Japanese lamps today. At the same time, the craftsmen with the times to give a new soul to the lamp, and now there are many modern shape of the lamp was born, the perfect combination of traditional and modern, refreshing.

Sometimes, the artisans add materials from nature, such as cherry blossoms in spring and red leaves in fall, to make the washi with natural patterns.