Mokuhanga Printing Baren for Japanese Woodblock Printmaking by Australian Artist and Printmaker Roslyn Kean / Now Available in the US through Washi Arts

I was recently at the International Mokuhanga Conference held at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu and was delighted to meet Roslyn Kean, a contemporary printmaker in Australia who uses traditional Japanese mokuhanga / woodblock printing techniques.

Roslyn Kean / mokuhanga print on exhibit at Beauty of Mokuhanga: Discipline and Sensibility

Roslyn has studied printmaking in Australia and the UK and did graduate research at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts. During this time she focused on methods of traditional Japanese woodblock. She has been a practicing printmaker for thirty years.

I was fascinated that Roslyn has developed a new version of the traditional Japanese hand printmaking baren. Her Kean Ball Bearing Baren (KBB Baren) is well engineered, beautifully constructed and a pleasure to print with. Roslyn told me she knew what she wanted the barens to do and was fortunate that her husband is an engineer and could collaborate with her on the production details. These ball bearing barens are said to be comparable to HON Baren (Hon means genuine or real) and while a hon baren start at $1,000.00 USD, Roslyn's baren cost $175.00 (stainless steel ball bearings) and $185.00 (Delrin® ball bearings). Washi Arts will have these available in the United States in November 2017. You can pre-order to ensure you'll receive one from the intial order. 

Roslyn Kean's Ball Bearing Baren / back

For the Kean Stainless Steel Ball Bearing Baren, click here.

Kean Stainless Steel Ball Bearing Baren for mokuhanga / Japanese woodblock printing. Click image for more information and to order.

For the Kean Delrin® Ball Bearing Baren, click here

Kean Delrin® Ball Bearing Baren used for hand printing Japanese woodblock prints / mokuhanga. Click on image for more information and to order.

Roslyn Kean has also created a masterclass available on DVD called "Mokuhanga: Tradtional Japanese Woodblock Printing.  If you are not able to get to a workshop in your area, this DVD will give you a good overview of woodblock printmaking in the Japanese style. The DVD has nine chapters and runs 144 minutes. If you are in Australia, you can order the DVD from Roslyn directly, if you are in the US you can order from Washi Arts. To learn more, click here.

Roslyn Kean hand printed on Japanese washi / paper

International Mokuhanga Conference / Beauty of Mokuhanga: Discipline and Sensibility

The third triennial International Mokuhanga Conference is being held this week at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. I will be documenting this event on Japanese woodblock printmaking over the week ahead, but wanted to share with you "The Vision and Journey to Establish the International Mokuhang Conference" in Honor of Keiko Kadota. This statement is written by Yasuki Sato, IMC2017 Director and included in the conference guide.

Cover of the 2017 International Mokuhanga Conference guide.

"In 1992, Keiko Kadota's field research for the Center for the Science of Human Endeavor (SfSHE) established to promote Japanese traditional culture and technology, gathered momentum to globablize the art of mokuhanga. This journey began with a visit to Crown Point Press in San Francisco where Kadota experiened a life-changing moment viewing the work of the Kyoto master printer Tadashi Toda. Mokuhanga such as Shikibi by Jose Maria Sicila translated by Master Today astonished Kadota because of how effortlessly Japanese technical mastery combined with cutting edge contemporary art concepts.

Inspired by her trip to the US, Kadota consulted local government administrators back in Hyogo prefecture, where Mr. Wasaburo Kashiwagi, the mayor of Tsuna-town, kindly agreed ot her proposal that would allow her to start a mokuhanga collaborative workshop in his town on Awaji Island.

Under Kadota's guidance, these mokuhanga workshops rapdily attracted athe intererest of contmeporary printmakers around the workd. This growing interest influenced CfSHE to consult with the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Japan Foundation to form a sustainable mission. Together they developed the Nagasawa Art Park Pilot Program in conjunction with Tsuna-town, creating the first mokuhanga artist-in-residence program.

For over twenty years, more than 200 artists who studiend mokuhanga at Nagawaa Art Park and later at Mokuhanga Innovation Laboratory (MI-LAB) have worked as researchers, studio artists and organizers of artist residencies. These artists have helped build the foundaiton of the International Mokuhanga Conference (IMC) which now attracts a range of artists and educators from around the globe.

Kodota consulted with Kari Laitinen and Tuula Moilanen, aughots of the Art and Craft of Woodblock Printmaking and Karen Kunc, the Director and Founder of Constellation Studio in Nebraska, to help realize the first IMC in 2011 held in Kyoto and on Awaji Island. The second conference was organized in Tokyo in 2014, aiming to foster greater interest in the exchange of tradition, history, techniques and innovations around mokuhanga.

This third triennial International Mokuhanga Conference in Hawai'i is a celebration of Keiko Kadot'as legacy as a proponent of mokuhanga who profoundly influenced the lives of so many artists, craftspeople and educators. It is the first conference to be held outside Japan on account of the Hawai'i Local Committee and many others who agreed to organize the conference here.

Hawai'i is the state of Aloha and it is with great honor that we have been invited here ot share the art and craft behind mokuhanga. And it is with this spirit of Aloha that we continue to carry out Kadota's legacy.

Keiko Kadota, the founder of IMC, passed away on January 10, 2017."

The Japanese Garden at the East West Center / University of Hawai'i

The conference is sure to be inspiring. Please follow the posts from IMC2017 over the next few days. Also follow Washi Arts on Facebook and Instagram.

Craftmanship · A Hallmark of Japanese Design and Materials

"It's about never compromising. Sometimes you need to take the time to go the full distance to achieve the best results. That is creaftsmanship." Hiroyuki Agani

An NHK World TV program called "Design Talks" featured Kumamoto Prefecture artists in Japan. One of the segments focused on Hiroyuki Agani, a twelfth generation pottery artist creating works in celedon with white clay inlay, called Yatsushiro ware (or Koda ware).

Yatsushiro plate with inlay design of clouds and cranes · 1801 — 1870 · Yatsushiro Municipal Museum

This mizusashi (water container for tea ceremony) with inlay of organized lines representing a young pine tree is exemplary of the type of fine inlay applied to Yatsushiro wares during the 19th century. Agano Noguma (1795-1871) Kyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory (Google Arts + Culture)

The artist, while explaining the history of Yatsushiro pottery, brought out a large book of designs dating from the 1800s, that was filled with drawings on large sheets of washi / paper.

From NHK World TV / Design Talks · Hiroyuki Agani, a twelfth generation pottery artist

Washi paper custom design book from Japan in the 1800s showing Yatsushiro pottery orders

Many of the same designs are produced today, along with more contemporary designs inspired by these original patterns by younger generation artists.

Original butterfly design from the 1800s (NHK World TV)

Contemporary interpretation of design on Japanese Yatsushiro Ware (NHK World TV)

Google Arts and Culture in Association with Kyoto Women's University has created a beautiful slide show on Yatsushiro Ware and featured the striking design sketch shown below on Japanese washi / paper (sometimes erroneously called "rice paper)

Order sheet for custom design illustrated on Japanese washi paper (from Kyoto Women's University)

To watch the program on NHK World TV go to https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/vod/designtalksplus/20170413/. The segment on Yatsushiro begins around the 20:00 minute mark.

To see the Google Arts + Culture slideshow on Yatsushiro, go to https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/exhibit/EQIyhScSDRo6Jw

Washi Arts at Focus on Book Arts · June 23 – 24, 2017 · Forest Grove Oregon

Focus on Book Arts is a group of book artists dedicated to making educational experiences available. The five day conference of workshops is taught by the very best in the fields of bookbinding, printing, decorating papers, paper making, book design and publishing.

Washi Arts will be part of the trade show at Focus on Book Arts on Friday June 23 from 5:00 – 9:00 and Saturday, June 24th from8:00am – 2:00pm. If you are in the area, please plan to visit and see a great selection of paper, tools and supplies, as well as visiting the other exhibiting vendors. The trade show is open to the public and the best time to visit is Saturday when workshops are in session (avoid lunchtime and morning breaktime.

Focus on Books Arts 2017 | Visit Washi Arts at the Trade Fair

The first Oregon Book Arts Guild "Focus on Book Arts" conference was held in 1993 and is held bi-annually in odd numbered years. Over 200 people from around the world attend five days of workshops alon with the Trade Show, Artists' Shop, Keynote Speaker and Faculty / Staff exhibit and several evening receptions. It is an opportunity for networking and learning new skills in the various areas of book arts. Focus on Book Arts in fully managed by an all-volunteer staff.

This year, there are twenty-two instructors offering thirty-six workshops. For more information visit the website at www.focusonbookarts.org

Rembrandt's Etchings and Japanese Washi Paper from Echizen

Delighted to read this post today from the Japanese Paper Place.

On Friday June 12th 2015, the Rembrandt House Museum will open an exhibition devoted to Rembrandt’s extraordinary choice for paper from Japan. It has long been known that Rembrandt made prints on this kind of paper, but it remained unclear from which region it originated. Recently researchers in Japan and in The Netherlands (Rijksmuseum) have started research on whether the paper originated from Japan and more particularly from the region of Echizen, located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Rembrandt was even a pioneer in the use of such valuable and exotic papers, starting around 1647. The only etched portrait of his son Titus was exclusively printed on Japanese paper. Dramatic comparisons with prints on western paper will reveal the effect of Rembrandt’s striking choice.

Dutch East India Company (VOC)
Japanese paper was already known and used by Europeans for a while: the Jesuits had even printed books on it. From 1609 the Dutch East India Company (VOC) had a trading post (factory) in Japan, which used local paper for its own administration. However, the paper was also traded: to Taiwan, Batavia and even The Netherlands.

Japanese Paper
From approximately 1647 until his last etching in 1665, Rembrandt printed most of his copper plates regularly on Japanese paper, and he also used the paper for drawings. His prints on Eastern paper look clearly different from those printed on Western paper. The Japanese paper types which Rembrandt used are usually light-brown to light-yellow, and sometimes ivory-colored. They are often smooth and shiny, whilst Western paper has a more rough and matte surface.

Use by Rembrandt’s Contemporaries
Some students of Rembrandt and other contemporaries, like Philips Koninck, Pieter de With and Jan Lievens, used Japanese paper as well. It seems to have been highly valued by collectors. Several of Rembrandt’s followers in the 18th century also printed their etchings on Eastern paper. As far as can be presently determined, Rembrandt mainly used Japanese paper, but it is not known how it came to his possession.

Echizen Paper
Echizen is one of the earliest areas of paper production in Japan. As far as can be historically verified, Paper making likely began in Japan approximately in the seventh century and is documented for Echizen in the eighth century. The administration of the Dutch trading post in Hirado (later moved to Nagasaki) shows that the VOC regularly acquired Japanese paper for their own use in the period 1620-1660 and also shipped it to the VOC trading posts in Taiwan and Batavia in this period. The results of the research on whether Rembrandt used Echizen paper for some of his prints will is expected to be announced in May before the opening of the exhibition. The exhibition in The Rembrandt House Museum will also share with the public the details of the Echizen paper making process.

This exhibition was made possible with financial support from Mitsubishi Corporation and Fukui Prefecture.

June 12 - September 20

Museum Het Rembrandthuis  |  Jodenbreestraat 4, 1011 NK Amsterdam, Netherlands

New Moriki Kozo for Bookbinding and Printing

Introducing the New Version of Moriki Kozo Handmade Japanese Washi Paper

The papermaker that had been making the popular Moriki Kozo washi had to stop making the colorful kozo/sulphite papers. He is focusing his energies and skills on plain natural papers such as Inshu Gampi 001 (http://www.washiarts.com/conservation-papers/inshu-gampi-001-hm)

We are now working with a new paper maker to redevelop the Moriki Kozo line. A selection of the most popular colors will be added gradually starting with black and brown. The few colors to come will be Azuki, grey and yellow.

The new Moriki kozo washi / paper is produced in a very similar method to the predecessor –  cooked with caustic soda, dyed with direct synthetic dyes and sized internally. The kozo fibre is sourced from Paraguay, a relatively new cultivator of good quality kozo that is well suited to dyeing.  

As before these papers are sized, making them ideal for water-based media. The papers are great for bookbinding as covers and end papers, and for relief and screen printing.

We currently have the new black Moriki kozo washi in stock - it is deep and rich – the photo does not do it justice. Order sheets at http://www.washiarts.com/moriki-kozo/moriki-kozo-black

As always, Washi Arts is committed to supplying exceptional Japanese papers.

Learn About Machine Made Japanese Washi Paper

Traditionally handmade washi is our passion, but that does not mean we don't admire and find great uses for machine made Japanese papers as well. Sometimes it has to do with price point or size and these papers are beautiful in their own right.

It was wonderful to come across this video fo the process of making Japanese paper by machine. It is also a process to be admires and hope you will enjoy the video from the Marujyu Paper Company.

To look at a selection of Washi Arts machine made Japanese papers click on the links below

Kozuke White Japanese Kozo / Sulphite Washi Paper

Kozuke Ivory Japanese Kozo / Sulphite Washi Paper

Chiyogami / Yuzen on Hand-screened Japanese Kozo / Sulphite Washi Paper

Japanese Artist Sculpts Figures With Japanese Washi Paper

Washi Paper Sculptures in Matsumoto Japan

Matsumoto, a scenic Japanese city of about 250,000, sits in a wide, fertile valley between the northern Japan Alps and the Utsukushigahara Plateau. For most of the year, its major draws are its castle — Japan’s longest-standing, which, with five black-and-white tiers and a shiny wood interior, is a remarkable work of 16th-century craftsmanship — and the wealth of opportunities in the surrounding mountains for hikers, those who enjoy snow sports and lovers of hot-spring bathing. (from The Japan Times)

Image: Kamiyakata Shimayu Paper Company

"In the Ote district near the castle, at the Kamiyakata Shimayu paper company, proprietress Eiko Ito sculpts fantastic demons and princes from thick Japanese washi paper." The Japan Times

Image: Kamiyakata Shimayu Paper Company

Image: Kamiyakata Shimayu Paper Company

Yuzen and Chiyogami · What is the Difference?

Yuzen and Chiyogami - What's the Difference?

Yuzen patterns were originally designed for the textile industry in Kyoto where the production of cloth for kimonos reached its zenith. Yuzen designs were very elaborate, and included a lot of gold.

Chiyogami is a specific word developed to describe the graphic, repetitive designs applied to paper in the Edo period. Originally these patterns were printed by woodblock for use in paper doll and small accessory making. In the twentieth century, these patterns began to be applied using silkscreens and this continues today.

Today, as Yuzen textile patterns join the traditional Chiyogami ones on paper, both terms are used interchangeably. We have chosen “Chiyogami” simply because it was the term originally created to refer to paper (-gami means paper).

To see a great assortment of Washi Arts Chiyogami / Yuzen, go to http://www.washiarts.com/shop-chiyogami/

Nancy Jacobi: Inspired by Washi

From Shepherds Fine Papers who have been trading since 1973 in the heart of London, serving customers from all walks of life; be it for printmaking, bookbinding, wedding stationery, or even hat making - they will certainly have something that will be of use to any creative artist or designer.

Japanese Washi expert Nancy Jacobi is giving a lecture at ICON: Adapt and Evolve conference in London, UK on Friday April 10th from 10.30 – 11.30 (more details here), and will be making a welcomed additional visit to the Shepherd's Gillingham Street Store on Friday 10th April to talk about Japanese Paper and its part in Western printmaking.

Throughout history, printmakers such as Rembrandt have often understood the absorbency and beauty of washi and the unique imagery it creates. Today, with the use of screenprinting, etching, lino cutting, and chine colle there are so many contemporary artists, like Simon Fowler, Emilie Pugh and Daniel Clark  (to name but a few), who are exploring the potential of washi in exciting new ways since it has become more accessible in a wide range through Shepherds in the UK

Connect with some surprising works of great European artists who adopted Washi early on to maximize their expression. Be inspired by 21st century examples by artists and craftspersons who are using its strength, translucence, malleability and tactility to create unique works - and whole new genres of art and craft.

Illustrated talk by Nancy Jacobi  from The Japanese Paper Place.

Very pleased to add that special guests; Japanese Papermaker Yasumasa Kubo (maker UNESCO designated Hosokawa), as well as Takao Moriki (of Moriki Kozo fame) will also be in attendance, so we will be in good company.

This seminar is free to all, and will be accompanied by light refreshments. Shepherd's will also be offering discounts on Japanese Paper and other Archival Products on the evening.

Striking Photography on Gampi / Artist Albarrán Cabrera

This wonderful Platinum/Palladium print is on Gampi paper – such a striking effect. The photographer is Albarran Cabrera (http://en.albarrancabrera.com/)

Albarran Cabrera · The Mouth of Krishna

From Albarran Cabrera's "This is you" series which you can read about on his website at http://en.albarrancabrera.com/this_is_you#. The works honor the memory of his grandfather and celebrates family. The print below is pigment / gold leaf print on gampi.

Albarran Cabrera · This is You

This image, also from the "This is you" series, is a postcard images printed with pigment / gold leaf on gampi.

Albarran Cabrera · This is You

To look at available gampi papers go to http://www.washiarts.com/natural-papers/yuki-gampi-hm

Takahiko Hayashi Works on Gampi Paper · Froelick Gallery Exhibit

From Froelick Gallery – In Takahiko Hayashi's new show, in a swirl of many, many small circles, he presents minutely detailed vortices of blue ink pen strokes, spinning coronas of stellar forms and cyclonic clouds of fine hatched lines that suggest celestial bodies or stormy oceans. Building mark upon mark, his ink glimmers with saturation. Within these maelstroms are tiny perforations in the paper surface, encircled with drips of white or bright green paint- these tiny eruptions forming slight topographic features on the surface of his fibrous, thin-but-strong gampi paper.

Drawing Ink on paper  
16.5 x 11 in This unique drawing is on Gampi paper. The overall paper measures 21.5 x 15.5 inches.

About Takahiko Hayashi

Born in Japan, Takahiko Hayashi received his BFA in Oil Painting from Musashino Art University in 1985 and his MFA in Printmaking from Tokyo National University of Arts in 1987, both in Japan. Hayashi's work has been exhibited in over 140 solo shows around the world since 1985, as well as an impressive number of group exhibitions. Hayahshi's work is featured in the collections of: the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia, Kurobe City Museum of Art in Japan, Los Angeles Musum of Art in California, the Museum of Modern Art in Japan, and more. (From Froelick Gallery)

Drawing Ink on paper  
16.5 x 11 in This unique drawing is on Gampi paper. The overall paper measures 21.5 x 15.5 inches.

About Froelick Gallery

Froelick Gallery exhibits and represents contemporary artists with strong and independent voices. Many of their artists live in the Pacific Northwest, others live in the Gulf Coast, Brooklyn, and Tokyo. Their works include many media, encompass many genre, and their careers range from emerging to established.

Drawing Ink on paper  
16.5 x 11 in This unique drawing is on Gampi paper. The overall paper measures 21.5 x 15.5 inches.

About Gampi Paper

Gampi is made from the inner bark of the gampi bush which must be obtained in the wild. Japanese gampi is very shiny even after being formed into paper. Gampi is favoured by artists who want tone and a luminous surface for all types of printing, calligraphy, collage, and drawing. Gampi papers have natural sizing, restricting the amount of bleed when written or painted on.

View fullsize

Drawing Ink on paper  
16.5 x 11 in This unique drawing is on Gampi paper. The overall paper measures 21.5 x 15.5 inches.

To view a selection of Washi Arts gampi paper to create your own unique works, click here.

Kyoseishi Momi Papers for Artists

"Momi" or crinkled papers have a uniquely textured surface and much more cloth-like "drape" than most other papers. Their texture makes them a unique choice for collage, and their strength and durability makes them particularly well suited for bookbinding and boxmaking.

But these papers are used by artists in unique ways as well. Scriptum Fine Japanese Prints has prints from artist Sadao Watanabe who creates striking color stencil prints on hand crumpled momi-gami paper. His work is inspiring.

Artist Sadao Watanabe · Print offered for sale by Scriptum Fine Japanese Prints   ·  Five Kyoseishi Momi papers to create your own unique prints and collages

About the Artist · Sadao Watanabe

Sadao Watanabe was a Japanese printmaker in the 20th Century. Watanabe was famous for his biblical prints rendered in the mingei (folk art) tradition of Japan. As a student of the master textile dye artist Serizawa Keisuke (1895–1984), Watanabe was associated with the mingei (folk art) movement. (Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadao_Watanabe_%28artist%29)

About Scriptum Fine Japanese Prints

Scriptum was established in 1999 and deals in JAPANESE PRINTS, particularly Prints of the late 19th and 20th century – Shin Hanga and Sosaku Hanga – and in Contemporary Japanese Print Artist. (www.japanprintart.com)

About Kyoseishi Momi

Washi Arts sells a premium hand-crumpled Kyoseishi line, with a high kozo content and treated with konnyaku for extra strength and some water-resistance. Available in parent sheets 43" x 31" and half sheets, as well sa 8-1/2" x 11" by special order. Click here to order.

Moriki Kozo for Conservation and Repair

On Instagram today,  Kristen Hartman, a University of Iowa Book Arts MFA Candidate posted a wonderful photo of working with Moriki tissue.

Kristen Hartman · Instagram

"Tinting some Moriki Japanese tissue with acrylics and methel cellulose for repairs on this leather spine. Color tinting is the best!" ~ Kristen Hartman

Original Moriki papers are no longer made. To browse the limited remaining stock, click here.

Japanese Washi Paper Kites Are Sculptural Art Created By Nine Kite Artists in Kochi Japan

Fantastic kites made of handmade Japanese washi paper show off the craft of the papermaker and the artistic and engineering skill of the kitemaker. These fantastic washi kites are works of art that are displayed in the sky rather than on the walls of a traditional gallery.

This video shows a group of kite artists visiting the Japanese papermaking village of Kochi to learn more about washi and harness its wonderful attributes for their flying art.

The washi kite artists use watercolor, collage, quilt techniques, assemblage, traditional Japanese painting to name just a few. The resulting flying washi sculptures are wonderful. Some are sophisticated, some are fun, some are colorful and some are traaditional. All are wonderful creative explorations.

Spotlight on Washi: Kozo Cards

Beautifully made cards of 100% kozo with four deckle edges make a wonderful medium for drawing and painting.

Artist Lorraine Pritchard created these lovely works. Drawing with graphite, colored pencil and ink on kozo cards

Create your own small works of art using kozo card. Available in a box of 100 cards or package of 50 cards.

Translucent Washi for Home Decor

The Japan News carried a lovely article today on using translucent colored washi for home decor.

A Hibiscus flower design made of transparent paper  ·  Courtesy of Nakamuraya

"Transparent paper” is becoming a popular choice for room decor, offering people the chance to add splashes of color to their homes by folding the paper into such shapes as flowers and stars. Like origami paper folding, the translucent colored sheets can easily be made into decorations that can be pasted on window glass and hung from the ceiling. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001941547

Decorations made from transparent paper in a variety of colors are striking when hung by windows · Courtesy of Megumi Suzuki

The Process of Making a Karibari Drying Board of Washi

Zacarias Garcia, a Spanish freelance photographer and videographer based in Washington DC, USA posted this overview and video on Vimeo https://vimeo.com/89455385 showing the making of a Karibari board of washi at the Folger Sheakspear Museum in Washington, DC

"A Karibari, a Japanese drying board, is one of the systems paper conservators use to dry objects after washing them during the process of their restoration.

This is a millennial technique used for paintings, manuscripts or textiles after being washed. The origin of the board can be found as doors in the Japanese architecture, in which people hung pieces of art more than two thousand years ago.

This documentary shows the process of making a Karibari. This is not supposed to be an instruction manual of how to make it, but a demonstration of how to make it." ~Zacarias Garcia

Conservation of Railway Posters Using Washi

Very interesting and informative blog post by Vicky Hanley of the National Museum of Scotland explains how her team used washi in several steps of conserving and mounting vintage railway posters for an exhibition

View fullsize

See Scotland by Train

Read the blog post and see the detailed process images at http://blog.nms.ac.uk/2012/06/08/the-conservation-of-railway-posters-for-the-see-scotland-by-train-exhibition/

Washi Fashion · From Kimono to Coats

From the Japan Times, an interesting article on a washi fashion show that featured a variety of paper garments, from kimono to coats.

A town in Saitama Prefecture known for its washi industry has held a fashion show featuring garments made from the traditional handmade paper to celebrate its addition to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List last November.

The show Wednesday in the town of Ogawa, co-organized with the neighboring municipality of Higashi-Chichibu, focused on the washi brand known as “hosokawashi,” and attracted about 650 spectators. Both municipalities are known for their “tesuki” (made by hand) craftsmanship.

The show showcased pieces from kimono-shaped gowns to modern coats. The materials were marbled with dyes such as persimmon juice and black ink, and softened to make them feel like cloth. The clothing line was designed and made by Taki Okajima, a Tokyo-based designer. known for producing art using washi and cotton fabrics. Okajima’s works were presented by amateur models recruited from clothing and design schools in Tokyo.

“It’s warm and light and I like the design,” said Kosuke Kondo, a 22-year-old student at a fashion school in Tokyo who was one of the models strutting the catwalk.

“It made me realize I should appreciate traditional Japanese art,” he said.

Saitama Prefecture is one of the three areas in Japan where the traditional art of washi has been passed down. The other two are in Gifu and Shimane prefectures.

Hosokawashi secured UNESCO recognition in November along with the “sekishubanshi” brand from Shimane, and “honminoshi” from Gifu