Washi

Washi (??) or Wagami is a type of paper made in Japan. Washi is commonly made using fibers from the ganpi plant, mitsumata plant, or the paper mulberry but also can be made using bamboo, hemp, rice, and wheat.

Washi is generally tougher than paper made from wood pulp and it is used in many traditional arts. Origami, Shodo, Ukiyoe were all produced using washi. Washi was also used to make various everyday goods like clothes, interior goods, and toys as well as a sacred cloth of Shinto priest, a statue of Buddha, and a wreath for winners in the 1998 Winter Paralympics. Washi was developed from the traditional way of paper making in China.

Making of Washi
The process needed to make washi is similar to that of paper, but fewer chemicals are used to make it. Washi making is a long and intricate process often undertaken in the cold weather of winter. It is traditionally the winter work of farmers.

Applications
Until the early 20th century, washi was used in applications where wood pulp paper or other materials would be used outside of Japan. This is not entirely because it was cheaper, but the unique characteristics of washi made it a better material than others. This is only a partial list as washi can be used for many purposes.

History

Types of Washi
With enough processing, almost any grass or tree can be made into a washi. Gampi, mitsumata, and paper mulberry are three popular sources used to make washi.

Ganpishi (???) - In ancient times, it was called Hishi (??). Ganpishi has a smooth, shiny surface and is used for books and crafts.
Kozogami (??) - Kozogami is made from paper mulberry and it is the most widely made type of washi. It has a toughness closer to a cloth than a paper and does not weaken significantly when treated to be water resistant.
Mitsumatagami (???) - Mitsumatagami has an ivory colored, fine surface and is used for shodo as well as printing. It was used to print paper money in Meiji period.

The paintings are the excellent portrayal of the events and scenes that we see around us. The painters are the best cameras of the world. They reproduce many different types of pictures. They even draw imaginary pictures that do not exist in this world. We tend to use both thinned oil paints and dense oil paints. Masterpieces can be dyed more than once, but each time it may be different from the existing paintings.h

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