The first known washi was not only used as a writing material (i.e., for Buddhist sutra copying), for documents (such as domicile and tax records), and for currency, but it was also used for wrapping precious objects. Although not as strong as cloth, it is likely that paper was the more inexpensive choice of the day. Washi is no longer an inexpensive wrapping material, but the art of wrapping with washi is still quite popular in Japan. For the Japanese, washi carries a deeper meaning; simply touching it resurrects nostalgic thoughts of bygone days. Paper is the fine layer of polite distance between giver and receiver. Handing something directly (unwrapped) to someone is considered discourteous. Taking the time to wrap something implies that the item within is a gift from the heart. Cash, either in the form of paper bills or coins, is a gift given on many occasions in Japan. New Year's, Coming of Age holidays, weddings, funerals, and births are typical events and times of the year when cash is gifted to loved ones. It is proper etiquette to present money at all times enclosed in an envelope, the okane ire. Due to this ingrained aspect of Japanese culture, there are an abundant variety of money envelopes sold in Japan. Origami refers to a three-dimensional representation of a shape made from folded paper. Well-made washi is the ideal material for folding. It can be manipulated in numerous directions, and because it is so forgiving, it does not wear out or tear. Origami's history goes far beyond the familiar folded crane. In Japan, origami was originally used in Shinto and Buddhist rituals. Shide is perhaps the oldest form of Japanese folded paper. Shide are the white paper The Unique Functions of Washi in Japanese Daily Life lauren pearlman sugita summer 2007 - 29 Small money envelopes (okane ire) for enclosing coins, each measuring 4 x 2 ½ inches. The envelopes on the left are reproduced in color on the magazine cover. All photos by and courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted. strips folded in a zigzag shape often seen hanging vertically in the entranceway of a Shinto shrine. Although originally made from cloth or bleached mulberry fibers, shide began to be made from washi starting in the Muromachi period (1333–1573). Until recently shide were typically made from hoshogami from Echizen, and Minohanshi, small paper sheets made in Mino. In Shintoism, the kami or the gods consider spotless white paper a perfect expression of divine nature. Folding the kami (paper) gave the kami (gods) a solid presence on earth, "easy to shape, easy to destroy," suggesting the seasonal cycle of life and death.1 Warriors or bushi used origami during the Kamakura period (1185–1333) to wrap their swords. In late Kamakura, origami was used to package household items such as powdered medicines. There is a Japanese expression from the past, origami tsuki (meaning "with origami"), which is still used to imply that an item has a seal of authenticity. It was not until the Edo period (1603–1868) that origami became a hobby for the masses. Handprinted papers such as chiyogami became widely popular for origami and doll making. Washi is used for many festivals and rituals continuing today. For the Tanabata or Star Festival in July, participants write their wishes on strips of washi and tie them to a bamboo branch. In March, Doll's Day features displays of figurines depicting the royal members of the Heian court often fashioned from washi. For Children's Day in May all carp streamers were traditionally made from washi, although now, they are made mostly from cloth. The entranceways to Shinto shrines are often lined with row after row of chochin (paper lanterns), welcoming visitors to nighttime shrine festivals. Other festive uses for washi include hanabi (fireworks) and the famous fifteen-foot-high illuminated nebuta paper floats in Aomori prefecture. Kamiko (paper cloth) is crumpled washi (momigami) that is strengthened and made water-resistant by applying the starch of a mountain root called konnyaku (arum root in English). Kamiko was made originally for Buddhist monks to wear during special religious ceremonies, such as the O-Mizu Tori (water-drawing) ceremony that dates back to the 1100s and still takes place every year at the Todaiji temple in Nara. At the end of ceremony, the Todaiji monks burn their sacred kamiko robes. Kamiko, as opposed to shifu (woven paper cloth, often with a silk warp), is used by Buddhist monks, because no animals are harmed, nor women employed in the making of this material. However kamiko was not strictly for Buddhist monks. By the Edo period, the influential and affluent merchant class created a market for stylish and affordable goods. Kamiko was produced by craftspeople and sold in bolts to make everyday clothing, pillow cases, and raincoats, mostly for those who could not afford cotton or silk. Like dungaree jeans in the 1960s, kamiko clothing caught on among the fashion-conscious crowds and became the chic apparel of the Edo period. A common misperception about washi is that it will break apart once it gets wet. However washi can be made impervious to water with certain coatings. The technology of applying oils to washi began as early as the Heian period (794–1185). By coating washi with natural substances, such as tree oils, konnyaku, and kakishibu (persimmon tannin), a multitude of useful objects can be made including the classic oiled paper hat (eboshi) that were worn by priests, noblemen, and warriors. The people of the past traveled for the most part on foot. Keeping dry was a must. Those who wore kimono also wore opened-toe, high wooden shoes called geta. The tall geta were ideal for keeping the feet and kimono above the muddy puddles. In a heavy rain or snow, geta were worn with an added protection for the toes called tsumakawa made from starch-treated and oiled washi or aburagami. You can still buy rain geta today, but unfortunately the tsumakawa is now made out of plastic. In the 30 - hand papermaking Rows of paper lanterns (chochin) create a wall in the sky during the Tori no Ichi Festival, in the Asakusa area of western Tokyo. 2006. The white, zigzag-folded paper called shide hangs vertically from the shimenawa (twisted rope) over the entranceway to a sake factory in Makabe town in Ibaraki prefecture. 2007. past, one would have worn a raincoat made from oiled kamiko and carry a wagasa, an umbrella made by covering a bamboo frame with washi. To make wagasa water-resistant, the washi is impregnated with sesame or flax oil, and the bamboo ribs are lacquered. Presently, there are only a few remaining craftspeople still making traditional wagasa. Washi is indispensable in traditional textile design and production. Tsutsugaki (drawing a design on fabric by squeezing paste from a cone) involves the use of a tsutsu, a washi cone made of shibugami (washi treated with kakishibu). In katazome stencil-resist dyeing, layers of shibugami are laminated together to make katagami (stencil paper) thick enough to hold an intricately cut design through multiple uses. Shibugami was also used to make jutan (a floor cloth), an extremely functional item in the days without air conditioning. A large piece of thick shibugami was first dipped in water and rolled out on the floor. The room was closed off, allowing the water to evaporate into the air which would actually lower the temperature of the space. The kakishibu prevented the paper from falling apart, once saturated with water. In addition to paper fabrics such as kamiko and shifu, other specialized embroidery threads are still produced for traditional Japanese clothing. Nuihaku, luxurious garments worn by Noh actors, are embroidered with gold and silver paper threads that are made from gilded or silver leafed washi. A certain style of brocade work known as saganishiki utilizes a gilded or lacquered washi warp and a silk weft. By the Meiji period (1868–1912), when Japan opened its doors to the West, washi became internationally known and used. The Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919 was written on washi. Rembrandt used washi for sketching, and the United States imported washi to make coffee filters. In Japan, however, there was a decrease in the use of washi as everyday life became modernized. Many types of washi, once handmade, were being replaced by machine-made papers. Today, washi, whether handmade or machine- made, is still present in everyday life in Japan, yet its long history is often taken for granted or forgotten by the Japanese. I believe that cherishing washi's handmade origins and mindfully using washi in contemporary life can help to promote the continuation of traditional hand papermaking in Japan. At the same time, I am counting on the current generation of young papermakers to continue the search for new means of personal expression and to challenge the traditional definitions of the craft. And we, as users overseas, must continue to invent new ways of utilizing it and adapting it to our daily lives in the West. Washi is so versatile. It can be worn, folded, sculpted, glued, painted, embossed, stretched, oiled, carved, woven, and even flown. Washi can be used instead of cloth, rope, straw, leather, bamboo, wood, glass, or combined with any material you can imagine. A list of reference literature related to this article appears on Hand Papermaking's website at www.handpapermaking.org/magazine. Ed. ___________ note 1. Dominique Buisson, The Art of Japanese Paper: Masks, Lanterns, Kites, Dolls, Origami (Paris: Finest S.A./Éditions Pierre Terrail, 1992), 35. summer 2007 - 31 White kamiko robe used by Buddhist monks for special religious ceremonies. Shibugami (washi treated with persimmon tannin) covers a basket, creating a durable container, or in this case a decorative interior accessory. 2006. The author (right) with one of the last living wagasa (paper umbrella) craftsmen, 83-year-old Matsuda Hiroshi, in Kanzawa city, Ichikawa prefecture. Photo: Seiji Sugita, 2005.