Trip to Japan Part 1 - Visit to Awagami Paper Factory

I've just returned from a quick trip to Japan with my partner Craig.  Its our 4th trip in 11 years, this time we visited Osaka and Tokushima.  We love the culture and the food!

I'll be blogging about parts of my trip over the coming couple of weeks.

This blog is about my visit to the Awagami Paper Factory in Tokushima.  'Factory' is perhaps the wrong description...all papers are made by hand, and we were able to watch the papers being made by several craftspeople.

A highlight was an opportunity to go onto the factory floor and have a go at making the paper.  We did some simple sheet forming using a small mould and deckle with mulberry pulp, then decorated with coloured paper pulp.  It was interesting to be able to use their vacuum machine and steam dryer.

The wonderful lady who instructed us knew no English (and we don't speak Japanese) but its amazing how much can be communicated through hand gestures and demonstration (my knowledge of papermaking helped too!).

A most enjoyable day with some time spent in the onsite paper shop afterwards!

The Awagami Paper Factory

A beautiful garden in a neighbouring house

Couldn't resist an arty photo!

The factory floor

Picking out the impurities

Taking the sheets off the cloths and attaching to a board
for final drying

Craig looking down into the factory space

Craig and I making our paper and having fun!

Craig working the vacuum table

Above me, a huge mould and deckle

In the shop - so much paper, so little time!



washi, washi and more washi...
how much luggage allowance do I have?????

A stop at the toilet, Japanese style

Ice-cream whilst waiting for the train afterwards,
from a vending machine of course!