Traditional craft
Mino Washi
美濃和紙
Thin, even and cloth-strong handmade paper from Mino in Gifu, famous for 1,300 years and ideal for shoji and archival use.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 22 May 1985
- Type
- Washi paper
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 美濃和紙
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 美濃市
Thin as can be, strong as cloth
Mino Washi is made by nagashi-zuki, so the sheet is even and its fibres interlock. Even very thin paper comes out strong as cloth and beautiful, ideal for shoji and for documents meant to last. Products include hon-minoshi, art papers and the interleaving paper used for gold leaf. It is made in Mino in Gifu.
Nagashi-zuki
- In tame-zuki, pulp is scooped onto the screen and left to drain.
- In nagashi-zuki, used for Mino Washi, the screen is rocked lengthwise and crosswise instead.
- Excess water is thrown off by feel, and the scooping is repeated many times.
- The result is an even sheet with no thin spots.
Japan's oldest family register
A family register from the year 702, written on Mino Washi, is kept in the Shosoin in Nara and is said to be Japan's oldest. In the Muromachi period the local Toki clan opened a paper market called rokusai-ichi, and Mino Washi was shipped to Kyoto, Osaka and Ise and became known far and wide.
Good to know
- Hold a sheet up to the light to see how even the fibres are.
- Mino Washi stationery is a light, elegant gift.
Questions travellers ask
How old is Mino Washi?
About 1,300 years; a family register of 702 on Mino Washi survives in the Shosoin.
What is nagashi-zuki?
Rocking the paper screen back and forth while scooping, so the fibres interlock into an even sheet.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.