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Even in our modern society, traditional folk crafts are still alive all over Japan. Its authentic beauty and value were discovered about 100 years ago in the movement of “Mingei,” the Japanese Arts & Crafts Movement, led by Muneyoshi Yanagi and others. These popular craftsmanship has been preserved and developed modestly and delicately depending on the characteristics of the place where artisans live. That is to say; they always gain creative inspirations from their local nature such as water, soil and flora.
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We visited Naruko Paper Factory in Kiryu village, Otsu city, the Southwestern tip of Shiga prefecture which was traditionally called Omi province. One of the excellent Japanese papers called “Omi Ganpi-shi” (using the inner bark of Ganpi, a genus Wikstremia) is mainly made in this village. The paper-making skills once spread in the entire village since there were Ganpi trees grown wild with rich underground water resources from the Kusatsu River. Moreover, the closeness to Kyoto helped a lot to easily transport and circulate “Naruko Washi” as a valuable product for traditional use. Until the Taisho era, there were about 17 household factories. However, as time passed and the machine-made paper appeared, the need for handmade paper-making shrank at once, and today the Nariko Paper Factory only remains.
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According to the pioneering book The Travel Journal to the Paper-making Villages in Japan (Meiji Shobo) written by Jugaku Bunsho and Jugaku Shizu in 1944, there were only two paper factories survived in Kiryu village even at that time. Mr. and Mrs. Jugaku visited both mills of Mr. Sajiro Naruko's and Mr. Umajiro Naruko's. We could easily understand the traditional local paper-making skills have been taken over to the present Naruko Paper Factory.
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1Since 1829, Naruko Paper Factory has been making strong and fine Ganpi-shi to produce gold and silver threads which are essential for Nishijin-Ori (traditional textiles typical in Kyoto). The Ganpi-shi produced here, which represents the foremost beauty and pureness, is often colored with natural dyes, and it once served as the purveyor to the Imperial Household Agency. Moreover, tradition says that Murasaki Shikibu, the greatest poet and author who lived in the 10th century Heian period, was also fascinated by the fine quality of the Gampi-shi.
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We interviewed Mr. Muneyuki Tani who joined the factory 20 years ago. He kindly explained to us his daily handiwork. Before his present career, Mr. Tani, born in Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture (known for Kutani ware), studied at Handmade Training Center in Tosa, Kochi prefecture. Currently, he often makes paper for various requests such as painting, prints, etching, and fine-quality white paper for calligraphy and even for art restoration. He also showed us some piece of "Ganpi Hakushi(a very thin Ganpi paper)" and a mixed colored paper made from origami cranes from Hiroshima. Unfortunately, we could not meet Tetsuro Naruko, the current master, because of his schedule. However, we would like to visit again someday. I want to thank Mr. Tani for sharing his precious time with us.
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