There are certain materials that a traditional Japanese Nihonga painter absolutely cannot do without. Paper, mineral pigments, animal protein, and brushes. And of those items, I consider the most sacred of them all to be paper. The most popular TV drama this year follows the life of author Lady Murasaki who lived 1,000 years ago. In it, the beauty of paper from Echizen is mentioned many times. We learn that as famous throughout Japan as it was, even to the people of the Heian imperial court Echizen paper was considered a great luxury. During the more than forty years I have been painting in Japan, of the many kinds of paper created in Echizen, the one I use the most is called torinoko, named for the white color and texture of a chicken’s egg. I am constantly impressed by its strength and beauty. Until my first introduction to Japanese paper, when I thought of paper, I thought of the kind of mass produced cheap mimeograph paper which didn’t particularly impress me all that much. Nevertheless, as a nihonga painter painting hanging scrolls and folding screens, my interest in Japanese paper naturally rose to a near obsession.

It is said that Japan is poor in resources, but I believe that in the area of craftsmen, their technical facility is an unrivaled resource in the world. Their wisdom has accumulated over the ages from generation upon generation. Echizen paper, is the living crystallization of ancient wisdom faithfully mastered by craftsmen today. They have mastered a complete knowledge and understanding of the all-natural materials that go into paper making. It cannot be emphasized enough how different this is from the various kinds of paper we come across every day.

Technically speaking, the paper made in Echizen is made with either mulberry fibers or fibers from a plant of the daphne family. The silky fibers of about one meter in length, are put in a tank of water and mixed around until they form a complex knot. This three dimensional knot is then turned into two dimensions as the water is drained. This is how a paper stronger than fabric is created. And remarkably enough, this technique was believed to have been divinely bestowed. Such a deity, Kawakami Gozen, the patron deity of paper, is celebrated at the Okamoto and Ootaki shrines in Echizen city. The origins of this legend can be traced back 1,500 years. Once every fifty years a special ceremonial festival of gratitude is celebrated in honor of this heavenly intervention. As someone who uses Echizen paper, I was fortunate to be invited by Mr. Yokoo Yasushi of Masumi who mounts my folding screens and hanging scrolls to participate in 2018, the most recent of these ceremonies. Because it is the ideal base for gold and silver leaf, I am particularly partial to their torinoko paper. I was excited to be able to formally express my thanks in this unusually appropriate way. I’d like to share with you my experiences of that magical three days.