Izumo Mingeishi Washi

Born in 1902 in a village called Yakumo, Eishirou Abe started his craft at a young age while helping out with his family’s papermaking business. At the age of 21, he continued to hone and refine his skills at Shimane Prefectural Industrial Laboratory.

In 1968, Eishirou Abe was recognised as a ‘Living National Treasure of Japan’ with his work designated as an ‘Important Tangible Cultural Asset’.
Eishirou Abe’s legacy is now continued by his grandsons – Shinichiro and Norimasa Abe.

The paper making process is highly tedious starting with tree barks which is then steamed and rinsed off with clear water. Mixture is then spread on a wooden frame layer by layer to form sheets of paper with the same thickness. Approximately 250 sheets are made in a day. Excess water is removed from the sheets and set to dry under the Sun.