Hiromi Japanese Paper - Hon Misu-Gami, handmade, 30-40 g/m², Sheet 25 x 65 cm

Ryoji Uekubo of Nara prefecture is the only remaining paper maker of Hon Misu-gami. His mill has made Misu-gami for generations, their paper having been chosen as a selected traditional technique by the Japanese Ministry of Culture back in 1977. To this day, Hon Misu-gami, Uda-gami, and Yoshino-gami are the only three papers that have been selected for this honor. It seems to be a coincidence that all three are from Nara prefecture.

Though Uda-gami is made with white clay, Misu-gami is made with “gofun”, or seashell powder. By using gofun, the finished papers have the unique quality of not shrinking when wet. Hon Misu-gami also uses a unique drying method called “subuse”. Different from the regular washi drying methods where the wet sheets are stacked together and pressed overnight; with “subuse”, the wet sheets are directly placed from the Su (bamboo screen) onto the drying board. By doing so, the finished papers are much softer. These soft sheets are especially good for scroll backings.