Japanese paper-related products
Kawashima Co., Ltd. offers Japanese paper-related products, including fusuma papers, shoji papers, creative Japanese papers, Japanese paper-processed products, and Japanese paper-coating glass (glassfia).
About fusuma paper
Kinds of fusuma
＜Hontorinoko＞
Long-lasting hand-made paper made of bast fibers, such as ganpi (bark of clove-like bush), mitsumata (paper bush), and kouzo (paper mulberry). (Standard replacement cycle: 5 to 10 years)
＜Torinoko＞
Torinoko is machine-made, while Hontorinoko is hand-made. Various techniques realize a broad range of textures, including the one near to hand-made one. (Standard replacement cycle: 3 to 5 years)
＜Joshintorinoko＞
Mass-produced, machine-made one, available with relatively low prices. There are various designs produced during manufacturing or post-manufacturing processes. In general, it is called “Joshin.” (Standard replacement cycle: 3 to 5 years)
＜Shintorinoko＞
The most affordable one; all of its paper and designs are produced with machines. To prevent surface transparency, the back side is colored brown in most cases, and so this paper is generally called “Chaurashintori.” (Standard replacement cycle: 2 to 3 years)
＜Top-grade fabric＞
High-class textile fusuma paper composed of warp and woof of dobby, etc. For warp, rayon yarn is used with a density of 50 threads per inch. For woof, design threads and silken threads are used with a density of 40 threads per inch. Each painting design is processed by hand. (Standard replacement cycle: 5 to 10 years)
＜Middle-grade fabric＞
Design threads, such as rayon yarn, slab yarn, and nep yarn, are used. Designs are processed by hand or cutting-edge technology, producing a variety of classy patterns. (Standard replacement cycle: 3 to 5 years)
＜Mass-produced fabric＞
Textile fusuma paper, available at low prices. Designs are processed with special rotary, offset, screen printers, or the like. Rayon and Manila hemp yarns are used with densities of 24 warp threads per inch and of 22 woof threads per inch. (Standard replacement cycle: 3 to 5 years)
＜Others＞
There are papers that can be used as finishing papers, such as bashofu, honkuzufu, and honkinsaikushi.
About shoji paper
We offer hand-made shoji papers, mass-manufactured products combining chemical and synthetic fibers, strong tear-resistant shoji papers, and “Warlon Sheet” in which Japanese paper is sandwiched by vinyl resin.
About creative Japanese paper
We offer hand-made Japanese papers produced around Japan. Our products and their places of origin are as follows:
| Higashiyama Japanese-paper | Iwate Prefecture | This paper has been called “Kanshi” since ancient days. This is produced amid the chilly winter. This is delicate, elegant, simple, and robust, and has a natural color of paper mulberry. |
|---|---|---|
| Nishinouchi Japanese-paper | Ibaraki Prefecture | This paper is made from high-quality paper mulberry. This is tawny, robust, and bug-repellent. This is suited for storage. |
| Ogawa Japanese-paper | Saitama Prefecture | Hosokawa Japanese-paper had been produced in Hosokawa, Koya-cho, Wakayama Prefecture. Since the Edo era, the paper with the same quality as Hosokawa Japanese-paper has been produced. |
| Ecchu Japanese-paper | Toyama Prefecture | This is the collective name of Yatsuo and Gokayama Japanese-papers, and Birutan-kami, and famous as printing paper, the paper used at shrines and temples, and repair paper. |
| Uchiyama Japanese-paper | Nagano Prefecture | The raw material is paper mulberry bleached on the snow. The amount of used chemicals is low, and so the color of this paper is natural white. As characteristics, this is robust, sunburn-preventive, and long-lasting. |
| Echizen Japanese-paper | Fukui Prefecture | In the 4th to 5th centuries, in which paper was introduced to Japan, this excellent paper had been already produced, and this became famous for its Japan’s greatest excellence in quality, variety, and quantity, through its long history and tradition. |
| Mino Japanese-paper | Gifu Prefecture | This is a representative “shoin-shi.” This is an approved one among shoji papers around Japan, produced with the outstanding papermaking technology. |
| Ise Japanese-paper | Mie Prefecture | Raw materials are rigorously selected, mainly for the paper used at shrines, and characteristic designs are produced for each shrine. |
| Kurotani Japanese-paper | Kyoto Prefecture | This paper reportedly originates from the technique handed over from fleeing Heike warriors to descendants. The traditional old production method is still adopted. |
| Izumo Folk craft paper | Shimane Prefecture | The late human national treasure Soshiro Abe added modernity to traditional techniques, and his spirit and craftsmanship came down to his grandchildren, and this paper is produced one by one while emphasizing the utilization of the characteristics of paper. |
| Sekishu Japanese-paper | Shimane Prefecture | Sekishu-hanshi (kouzo paper) is produced using high-quality locally-grown kouzo (paper mulberry), and is characterized by its fineness, robustness, and luster. |
| Inshu Japanese-paper | Tottori Prefecture | As the “Inshu-fudekirezu (In Inshu, painters always exist.)” produced representing Inshu, gasen paper (white large paper), calligraphic paper, paper for Japanese-style painting, and Japanese paper products are famous. |
| Tosa Japanese-paper | Kochi Prefecture | This paper is endorsed by the following three: the highest quality raw materials in Japan, the outstanding tools, and advanced papermaking technology. The most remarkable feature is the abundance of types. |
| Awa Japanese-paper | Tokushima Prefecture | The specialties of Awa are collectively called “Four Trees and Three Herbs.” The four trees are paper mulberry, mulberry, tea, and lacquer; the three herbs are indigo, sugarcane, and tobacco. Among them, indigo is famous also for the indigo-dyed Japanese-paper. |
| Nao Japanese-paper | Saga Prefecture | Since this paper is made of locally-grown materials, its production volume is declining. Various materials are used, making this paper a unique one. |
Japanese paper products
Japanese paper products include Japanese paper-attached lightings, pendant lamps, Melook lamps, Japanese paper tapestry, folding screens, partitions, interior screens, and small articles. There are many other Japanese paper products.
Japanese paper coating glass (glassfia)
Glassfia can be applied to various things―doors, shoji, partitions, folding screens, luminous walls, ceilings, luminous columns, etc. The robust, colorless, transparent adhesive film at the center enhances safety and security. Even if this is damaged, this will not scatter or drop, and so this can be applied to safety-required fixtures, such as windows, doors, and partitions.
