The New Generation of Papermakers in Aoya Town,Japan

摘要

Aoya is a small town in the prefecture of Tottori,Japan.Facing the Sea of Japan,the town has been prosperous since ancient times.The paper produced in this area is called Inshu washi,dating back more than 1,200 years.After World War II,the proliferation of office machines and rapid changes in lifestyle caused a devastating blow to Inshu washi production.To counter this decline,Inshu washi production shifted to specialty calligraphy,craft,and dyed papers.There are currently four handmade-paper studios and eleven mechanized papermalcing factories,a paper museum,and the Washi Kobo papermaking workshop.