THE HISTORY OF TOHNO WASHI

The practice of washi making has a long history in Tohno. Beginning in the Edo period (1603-1868), by around the 20th year of the Meiji period (1887) production was at its peak with about 600 households engaged in paper-making.

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With the spread of machine made and western style paper, demand for washi has declined. Of those 600, by 1965 only one workshop remained, that of Seya Yasuo 瀬谷安雄. Seya lived in the Miyamada region of Tohno, and was registered as an asset of intangible culture by Iwaki city. He, along with his family, carried on Tohno washi for almost 50 years.

The Seya family stopped making washi in 2010. However from 2015 Tohno locals have taken advantage of a government initiative, the Regional Revitilisation Squad (地域おこし協力隊), to ensure that their washi traditions continue to be passed on.

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Making washi was originally a secondary occupation for farmers during winter, but it flourished in Tohno thanks to the presence of pure water, kozo mulberry trees, and a favourable climate. In the past Tohno washi primarily found its home as screen paper for shōji sliding doors, but now it's main use is as graduation certificates for the Tohno elementary, junior high, and high schools. It is also used for painting and calligraphy, as well as business cards and interior decorations.