Learn washi technique, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, in the lush mountains of Saitama

Details

• Private experience

• Location: Tokigawa, Saitama

• 2 hours

• 4 people max

• Offered in Japanese, with friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in English
  (French/German/Spanish interpretation may be available upon request)

Organic beauty

Washi is made from 'kozo' mulberry plants, which are grown by Hiroko and her staff themselves. Hiroko's atelier is located near a river that provides the pure water necessary to make washi and the mountains of Saitama, where the mulberry plants grow. Traditionally, washi has been used as paper for various Japanese art forms, such as Nihonga, an ancient style of painting, as well as for more utilitarian purposes such as shoji sliding door frames. With its warmth, durability, absorbency, pliability, and transparency, washi is an extremely versatile material and 'innovative uses for washi today abound in interior and graphic design, bookbinding, painting, etching, sewing, calligraphy and much more.

About the Master

At Hiroko Tanino's washi atelier in northwest Saitama, an area known for its long history of washi production, you get the sense that washi paper is alive. The wamth, soft natural fibers of this traditional Japanese paper and its beautiful transparency almost communicate a quiet breathing force, a vitality that does not exist in machine-made paper. Produced using techniques passed on over 1300 years since its beginnings in the Edo period, washi contains a long and profound story of human creativity, even playfulness, and respect for nature. This heritage of technique was commemorated in 2014, through the inscription of washi in the UNESCO  Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Along with other washi artisans today, Hiroko, continues to pass on the legacy of washi for today's world.

What you’ll do

Learn about the making of washi paper and observing Hiroko demonstrate how to make washi paper, then craft 2 postcards (100mm×148mm) of your own washi paper and decorate with seasonal flowers.

Who can attend

Children must be 7+

Availability

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Session 1 (13:00 - 15:00)

Access

2 hours away from Tokyo Station.

Cancellation Policy

Please make your booking at least 24 hours in advance. See cancellation policy here.

* A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.