Japan Experts

#29 The SECRETS of Handcrafted Paper That Lasts For A Thousand Years, With Paul Denhoed

Listen on

Episode notes

You were invited to a house by your Japanese friend. You were welcomed to a Japanese style room and your friend just left you to go and prepare for your tea. 

Now what can you see?

The first thing you’ve noticed may be sliding doors. Some of them may be heavy-looking and have some drawings on them. Some others may be translucent and through these, natural light is coming into the room.

If you turn yourself to the other side of the room, you may find an alcove in which you can probably find a hanging scroll with calligraphy painted on it.

And in the corner of the room, a white lantern may be on display. The surface may look soft.

So,  what are they all made of? I’m sure you know the answer, right?

The primary material for these items is Washi.

You may have heard of the term before. It’s handcrafted Japanese paper.

Some of them are extremely thin. Some others look thicker. But generally, most of them are very durable. And good washi can maintain its quality even after a thousand years.

So why are they so strong? What makes them so special? And more importantly, what are the major benefits of using washi or washi-made items in this modern society?

To address these questions, we’ll be joined by Paul Denhoed who has been researching washi over the past few decades. He has built knowledge about different types of washi and has studied washi making directly with a Japanese washi craftsman. He is currently working collaboratively to organize washi making workshops as well as tours of papermaking studios and fields where the raw material is grown.

More info about Paul Denhoed can be found on his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/pauldenhoed/

-----------------

You can join the the Japan Experts dojo community from here: patreon.com/japanexperts

It is a place for you to get access to all the content for less than the money you pay for a single cup of coffee!

So save the money today and invest it into your learning!

I can promise you that you will gain so much knowledge on how to explore, appreciate and understand Japan and so I look forward to meeting you inside the dojo community. More details are available here: patreon.com/japanexperts

------------------

Keen to know more about Japan? Have questions about Japan Travel Planning? 

Feel free to reach out to me on social: 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/japanexperts

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jpexperts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/japan.experts/