How Traditional Japanese Washi Paper is Made

Mr Okuno Makoto moved to the village with his wife Okuno Kayo over 40 years ago, and he has been making paper for over 3 decades at the Ryujin Art Center. He uses paper mulberry trees from Ryujinmura and the village next door, and turns them into beautiful sheets of Japanese paper. I got invited to watch him work his magic.
#wakayama #ryujinmura #龍神村 #紙漉き #papermaking
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523 Hiroihara, Ryujinmura,
Tanabe-shi, Wakayama Prefecture
Japan 645-0523
About Ryunohara: Ryunohara is a tea and bee farm in progress. We're nestled deep in the mountains of Ryujinmura, Wakayama Prefecture. The 2 farmhouses on the property are 60 and 120 years old. We will use natural farming techniques, so no tilling, no fertilisers, pesticides, and no weeding. A farm-to-table cafe is in the works.

Пікірлер: 98

  • @JillRhoads
    @JillRhoads11 ай бұрын

    It's surprising to see that you can put wet paper sheets on top of each other and they won't permanently stick to each other.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    11 ай бұрын

    I found that quite amazing too when I first saw it!

  • @DolandB

    @DolandB

    6 ай бұрын

    I will add THAT to my process…just stack and smush!

  • @greenyonder
    @greenyonder2 жыл бұрын

    You put a lot of work and time into making this video. Thank you so much. It is fascinating.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 жыл бұрын

    You’re welcome! Thanks for watching! More about Mr Okuno in the coming months. You haven’t seen his artwork yet.

  • @rakuen_paradise422
    @rakuen_paradise4226 ай бұрын

    This is such a wonderfully made video! Thank you for making this, I really appreciate the work that went into making it.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    6 ай бұрын

    You're very welcome!

  • @backwoodsnboobies
    @backwoodsnboobies9 ай бұрын

    i love how in his station when he’s pounding the fibers you can see the years of fibers stuck to the walls and door, it shows how much time and effort he puts into this

  • @backwoodsnboobies

    @backwoodsnboobies

    9 ай бұрын

    also, i wonder, if the term “washi” is japanese paper, how does this correlate to “washi tape”?

  • @chargingrhino5636
    @chargingrhino56363 ай бұрын

    What a fantastic documentary! Thank you for sharing it.

  • @laserfloyd
    @laserfloyd10 ай бұрын

    I learned about Washi by watching an art conservator use it to preserve the paint layer on paintings that are centuries old (i.e. oil paint that is flaking off or at risk of being lost due to handling). He uses it because it's extremely strong despite how delicate it looks. It's also gentle and will not damage the paint layer itself. Lastly, it's easy to remove once its task is complete. So, while it's not used to create art, it's saving timeless pieces of art. I'd say that's a worthy cause. It's a beautiful paper and a fascinating process. :)

  • @jessicag630
    @jessicag6302 сағат бұрын

    11:36 Cresol is now forbidden in certain countries due to its toxicity. A woodworking video about wood treatment effectiveness I saw mentioned this. I googled it further and found an article that says: Its main toxicity is due to denaturation and precipitation of cellular proteins and thus poisons all cells directly. It can be absorbed following inhalation, oral, or dermal exposure. Its poisoning can be fatal.

  • @lumusaurus9572
    @lumusaurus95722 жыл бұрын

    A shame that this doesn't get more views, this is really informative and well made video.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Lumus Aurus! The people who are meant to watch this will so more views would be nice but they’ll come eventually!

  • @user-go4ii2dl8d

    @user-go4ii2dl8d

    3 ай бұрын

    @@Ryunohara Like me!

  • @NorthernDoorAutumn
    @NorthernDoorAutumn2 ай бұрын

    I just started learning to make paper at home, and this was a delightful video to find on KZread. Thank you for taking the time to document this incredibly unique and beautiful process.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 ай бұрын

    Glad it was helpful!

  • @TizonaAmanthia
    @TizonaAmanthia9 ай бұрын

    ahhh, I would love to know more about the transitional steps from mulberry....wood. to that pulp he's pounding on.

  • @nuwankalanamith8670
    @nuwankalanamith867010 ай бұрын

    Thank you for the sharing. You have spent a lot of your time for the video. Thank you again.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    10 ай бұрын

    My pleasure!

  • @princessdee215
    @princessdee215 Жыл бұрын

    I think you're also waking up old dormant traditions, with so many wonderful people around you, i see a great future for that village.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Mr Okuno revived this old tradition of paper all on his own, I’m just playing a small part in supporting it ☺️

  • @binnytheearthhero
    @binnytheearthhero6 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much for recording this process. Amazing video!

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    6 ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @greenbriar07
    @greenbriar07 Жыл бұрын

    I've never seen the root-goo glue rendering and drying parts of the papermaking process, interesting stuff! Hopefully the locally-grown source for root stock will work out.

  • @anitapeura3517
    @anitapeura35177 ай бұрын

    Thank you for this. We in the west take so very much of our everyday materials for granted without at all considering how or where it was made, in what environment, at what cost. Our own paper industry used to be similar in medieval times but we haven't valued the skills and craftsmanship, and deep knowledge, and time and effort, that it took to make this stuff. To our detriment! If civilisation collapses (what are the chances?) we need to relearn all this, and so much more. And it just adds extra dimensions to everyday existence, enriching life. Japanese cultural traditions have much to teach us. So thanks again for keeping this alive. The Japanese government gives out awards for National Living Treasure to skilled craftspeople. How wonderful is that? Another tradition to emulate, having such cultural value across generations.

  • @mariaetheridge8343
    @mariaetheridge83439 ай бұрын

    What a lot of work! Amazing to see - thank you! I'll be waiting for the winter harvest.

  • @Roger_and_the_Goose
    @Roger_and_the_Goose7 ай бұрын

    Well done for recording this wonderful craft. It's so important to keep records of these traditional crafts for future generations. Thank you, from Salisbury East in South Australia. Paul

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    6 ай бұрын

    Thank you for watching!

  • @spyrouandsprout
    @spyrouandsprout2 ай бұрын

    this is beautiful and very humbling to watch, thank you for sharing

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 ай бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @dokidoki205
    @dokidoki20510 ай бұрын

    You know this is Pure art, like when you finish a piece that was hard but you tried it because you knew it was worth it and after finishing that thing that you want you finally tell yourself : i did it. And that moment is the thing that always brings artists joy

  • @joanleenakayama7939
    @joanleenakayama79392 жыл бұрын

    I hv missed this video when I saw yr 2nd making video yesterday ! Wow…. So much work & effort! Wishing I cud meet him someday! And, U r super with such videos!! 😍😍🙏🤟🏽🥰

  • @GrimBanana42
    @GrimBanana422 жыл бұрын

    Dude! This video is amazing! Please tell us more about Mr Okuno's wife something about her arts and paintings, how she doing and mixing dyes for paint. This is very interesting! Really like your content!

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Peter! I’ll be making a video about her artwork when she has the time ;)

  • @GrimBanana42

    @GrimBanana42

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Ryunohara good to hear it. Keep going, you doing great!

  • @lizzyanthus1
    @lizzyanthus1 Жыл бұрын

    This is the most interesting thing I have seen in a while, thank you for sharing it! You have a very nice and soothing voice by the way. Very easy to listen to. Please thank your friend for letting you film his paper making process. Looking forward to seeing more of the process, gathering materials etc. I find authentic paper making to be of great interest to me, it's so fascinating, and so much work! Thank you again.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching, and for the kind words!

  • @salvadorpalma8173
    @salvadorpalma8173 Жыл бұрын

    Such beautiful images. I just heard about washi paper for the first time (european here) and I had to know how it was made. You got a subscriber here. Can't wait to explore your channel.

  • @salvadorpalma8173

    @salvadorpalma8173

    Жыл бұрын

    That last image is so great, such a well balanced shot. And the light when he turned the lights off... Just beautiful image.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching! Glad you found the video helpful.

  • @izharneumann7099
    @izharneumann70997 ай бұрын

    thank you so much for the video. when will you post the second part with the kozo harvest ? 待ってます

  • @mountainsno
    @mountainsno10 ай бұрын

    Thank you for an excellent video.

  • @kimi98765
    @kimi987652 ай бұрын

    Checking washi making because of Honzuki Gekokujou~~

  • @mikepetersen7319
    @mikepetersen73194 ай бұрын

    Great Craftmanship.👏

  • @jenefervelasco2075
    @jenefervelasco2075 Жыл бұрын

    👏👏👏so much passion

  • @kimnkal
    @kimnkal Жыл бұрын

    Very informative and well-made video, thank you!

  • @TheIthil
    @TheIthil Жыл бұрын

    Amazing ! Thank you so much !

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @nicolahall5274
    @nicolahall5274 Жыл бұрын

    Beautiful video, thank you 🙏

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @wendycaldwell5113
    @wendycaldwell51132 жыл бұрын

    Great informative video. Thanks.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching Wendy!

  • @blindpilot9403
    @blindpilot94032 жыл бұрын

    Great documentary on the subject and Mr Okuno Makoto. Thank you for sharing it.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 жыл бұрын

    You’re welcome!

  • @rlee024
    @rlee0242 жыл бұрын

    Such a dedicated master! The glue snot reminds me of tororo. What is the most difficult step of paper making? To me it seems like getting the thickness of the paper correct during the kamisuki stage. Love the new narration style too!

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 жыл бұрын

    The glue reminds you of tororo and yes that’s why it’s called tororoaoi - tororo hibiscus 😅 I can ask him what the most difficult step is, but I guess it has to be selling it! And glad you noticed the new narration, I’m finding it allows me to say a lot more than with the subtitles.

  • @TERRYBIGGENDEN
    @TERRYBIGGENDEN Жыл бұрын

    Thiais wonderful-so informative. Ive seen kozo paper being made on You Tube many times, but this is rich in detail and your commentary is most informative. :-)

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad it was helpful!

  • @Wanda6308
    @Wanda6308 Жыл бұрын

    This was very enjoyable to watch. Thank you so much. I am a new subscriber

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for subbing!

  • @RivvyWritesAndMakes
    @RivvyWritesAndMakes Жыл бұрын

    This is so interesting! And I love so much that he uses the waste products from other places in his process. Thanks so much for sharing this video.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Using waste materials efficiently is a key part of Mr Okuno’s work ☺️

  • @RivvyWritesAndMakes

    @RivvyWritesAndMakes

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Ryunohara it should be a key part of more people's work. I really love that concept.

  • @quasistarsupernova
    @quasistarsupernova Жыл бұрын

    very underrated

  • @howlingwind1937
    @howlingwind1937 Жыл бұрын

    Eeew snot! It did look like it too!😄. It was a very interesting video, thank you for sharing it as it would have been hard work, I'd like to to try making paper from eucalyptus leaves. Cheers from Australia!

  • @josefranciscosotorojas4526
    @josefranciscosotorojas45268 ай бұрын

    excelente video y explicacion del proceso de produccion artesanal.saludos de san javier de loncomilla desde la republica de chile

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    8 ай бұрын

    Thank you for watching!

  • @drryljoh10
    @drryljoh10 Жыл бұрын

    This is great my man I want learn this

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Okuno-san offers a half-day workshop so if you come by Ryujinmura…

  • @greenea0
    @greenea02 жыл бұрын

    I am in the US and totally obsessed with paper mulberry. Finding your channel is really exciting, as you do an excellent job. One thing your video doesn’t show is when and how they separate the outer bark from the inner bark. I watched the other video and it showed the whole stripped bark being hung to dry, and now this video showing the bark separated. Could you share the step of separating outer vs inner bark? Thank you so much!

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hello Eliza! Thanks for watching. Are you making your own paper? The bark you see in this video is actually the brown bark you see being hung to dry in the other video. It has become a lighter shade of brown because UV rays have bleached it slightly. The brown bark is kept from winter till summer, when there is very strong sun. The dried brown bark is then placed in large tubs of cool, flowing water, and sunned for 2 days (watch from 18:01). The sun bleaches it and it turns white.

  • @greenea0

    @greenea0

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Ryunohara I'm not making paper yet. I got turned onto kozo as a livestock feed, but I love the versatility. Thanks so much for answering my question!

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@greenea0 that’s interesting! What do you feed it to?

  • @SIMODZPRO
    @SIMODZPRO Жыл бұрын

    I love handmade arts ❤️ please i want to know how the paper sheets doesn't stuck together when he took them off, is there a secret ?

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Okuno-san says the secret is in practicing!

  • @javaquantum
    @javaquantum Жыл бұрын

    Helo Mr Ryunohara, thanks alot for your documentation. May i ask you is it in japan sell kamisuki that made from bamboo and possible send to Indonesia 🙏😇 thank you

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi! Mr Okuno only makes traditional washi and not bamboo washi at the moment. There’s a bamboo washi maker in Ryujinmura and I can have a word with him about exports. He can only produce a very small quantity at a time though.

  • @Idk-ro9nt
    @Idk-ro9nt10 күн бұрын

    Came here after watching Ascendance of a Bookworm where the main character makes washi paper

  • @Melavi101
    @Melavi101 Жыл бұрын

    Hi, thank you for this great video. Could you tell me what the beater is made of? And what about the table? Thank you!

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Let me check with Okuno-san re. the beater. The table is made of granite.

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Hello Melanie, Mr Okuno says the beater is sakura (cherry blossom). He made it himself.

  • @roshannaidoo3792
    @roshannaidoo37927 ай бұрын

    What is the purpose of adding the glue to the pulp? Is that for sizing?

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    7 ай бұрын

    The sunset hibiscus root glue is added so that the paper pulp does not strain out too quickly (and hence turn out uneven).

  • @gayleleier8115
    @gayleleier8115 Жыл бұрын

    He can't possibly make enough money for what he does. No one could pay me any amount to sit and pound paper for 4 hours. There has to be a machine that could do that job. I applaude his fortitude.

  • @justinmorgan2126

    @justinmorgan2126

    Жыл бұрын

    there are, this is just tourist crapola

  • @kdlart04
    @kdlart04 Жыл бұрын

    Is this the same mulberry they feed the silk worms?

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    Жыл бұрын

    Different! Silkworms eat Morus alba, this is Broussonetia kazinoki x papyrifera.

  • @kdlart04

    @kdlart04

    Жыл бұрын

    @@RyunoharaThank you for your answer. I am still figuring all this out. This video was fantastic. 😀

  • @creepinglimongrass3276
    @creepinglimongrass32762 жыл бұрын

    some how Mr.Okuno give me a dilemma from his conversation while making washi paper. should I move to japan to farm there or just farm here in The Philippines?

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hahaha come move to Ryujinmura

  • @creepinglimongrass3276

    @creepinglimongrass3276

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Ryunohara well i need to find a job first. I still haven't finish university...... and there is covid but i do love to live in the countryside of japan. I dont know?😌 I never even been in Japan

  • @justinmorgan2126
    @justinmorgan2126 Жыл бұрын

    ..and how did Japan function when they weren't taking two weeks to make a single sheet of paper...

  • @mrahman1338
    @mrahman13389 ай бұрын

    What is the name of the tree whose bark is being used?

  • @Ryunohara

    @Ryunohara

    9 ай бұрын

    It’s Broussonetia kazinoki x papyrifera

  • @Jai_Mata_Di111
    @Jai_Mata_Di1119 ай бұрын

    Doggy.