【Meet The Local】Washi and Paper craft Tour

【Meet The Local】Washi and Paper craft Tour

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  • 【Meet The Local】Washi and Paper craft Tour
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A Guided Tour for Washi Lovers

Visit a Japanese paper factory and make an original Washi and a Washi notebook!

First you meet up with your guide at JR Uchiko station or Uchiko town visitor's centre. Then get on a bicycle and visit the paper factory which makes Ozu Washi from Edo period in the traditional way.
You get to make own paper and know how they make Washi with a guidance from the craftsman. Then you get to make a original notebook using an old Japanese binding technique. The paper you just made will be the front and back cover of your notebook. A local graphic designer/letterpress printer, Suguho Aoyama teaches how to make a notebook. The inside papers of the notebook are also Washi that is made at the paper factory you visit. This will be a great souvenir for you to take home.

Then visit ORIGAMI vending machine. This is probably only one in the world!
Those ORIGAMI are made by Chizuru Okano, the owner of a small shop right next to the vending machine. If you are lucky, you get to see to her and have a fun conversation.

In the end, the guide will take you to the Ikazaki kite museum to learn about Ikazaki kites and the history of this area. When the weather is nice, you can fly a kite at the riverside.

This tour goes on by rental E-bikes, and a local guide will read you the way and tells you the stories of this area.

Enjoy “Real Japan” at a lovely river side town.


〈What’s included〉
-English speaking guide*
-Factory tour at Japanese paper factory
-Paper making experience
-Japanese binding and notebook making workshop
-Some small Origami at Origami vending machine
-Entrance fee for kite museum
-Bicycle rent
-Insurance
*French speaking guide is also arrangeable with additional 15000 yen per a group.

〈Time Schedule〉
12:30 Meet at Uchiko visitors center = 13:00 Japanese paper factory = 14:00 Notebook workshop = 15:15 Origami vending machine = 16:00 Kite Museum = 17:00 Back to Uchiko visitors center

Story of making Washi

It takes a daunting amount of time and effort to make a single sheet of Washi paper.

The raw material of Washi is the bark of a tree called Kozo, Mitsumata or Ganpi.
They are soaked for several days in water, then boiled to kill harmful fungi. Then wash them with water, bleach them by exposing to the sun for about one week. Then wash with water again. The process of removing impurities with human eyes and hands is repeated three times. Now the raw materials are finally ready.

Throw the raw materials into a boat and mix with Tororo Aoi, mucus from the roots of a plant, and stirred thoroughly. Scoop up with the reeds and swing back and forth, right and left so that the ingredients spread evenly. Put it aside and make one again. The Layers of strained paper are left overnight then put them on a press machine to remove water. Then soak them in wate, peel them off one by one, place them on a drying table, carefully brush them so that they do not wrinkle, and dry them using heat from the table.

The finished paper is inspected by human eyes, and finally becomes a product.

Boiling and washing the raw material, removing impurities, making paper, drying paper, inspecting paper, all those works are done by hands of different craftsman.
Washi is precious because they are carefully made with hands of each and all craftsman.
See more about Tenjin-sanshi Paper Factory

Information

ContactUchiko Tourism Association
TEL +81-893-44-3790

OR

Give us a message by "Contact Us" below.


★Please apply at least 2 weeks ahead of time
Price2 pax = 25000 JPY per person
3 pax = 20000 JPY per person
4 pax = 18000 JPY per person

〈Number of people〉
Minimum 2 pax / Maximum 4 pax

〈Cancel Policy〉
20 days ~ 8 days before 20%, 7 days ~ 2 days before 30%, 1 day before 50%, On the day and No-show 100%
Operation dayAll year around
Tuesday to Friday Only
*Exclude Japan National Holidays

Itineraries

JR Uchiko station or Uchiko visitor centre

20 minutes by bicycle

Tenjin-sanshi Paper Factory

Tenjin-sanshi Paper Factory

Visit a traditional Japanese paper factory and meet the craftsman. Here you make your own Wash and learn about Washi making process by looking around the factory. You may shop souvenirs at their gallery & gift shop.
(Time required : 60 minutes)

Tenjin Sanshi Japanese Paper Factory

Tenjin Sanshi Japanese Paper Factory

Make your one of the kind Washi note book by using Japanese traditional binding technique.
(Time required : 60 minutes)

15 minutes by bicycle

ORIGAMI vending machine

ORIGAMI vending machine

The only one in the world?!
Visit an unique Origami vending machine and get some of the cute works.
If you are lucky, you can meet the Origami artist.

20 minutes by bicycle

Ikazaki Kite Museum

Ikazaki Kite Museum

Ikazaki district that you explore on this tour, is known as kite making place.
This museum shows us traditional Ikazaki kites and many kind of kites from all over the world. You can learn the roots of washi and kites in this area.
If the whether is nice enough, you can also try to fly a kite at river side next to the museum.

15 minutes by bicycle

JR Uchiko station or Uchiko visitor centre

Ask a question or Book a spot

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