Authorized by Kozan-ji Temple, where the National Treasure, the caricatures of birds and animals, are handed down! Over 11m in length! Handmade Washi Picture Scroll The exhibition "Choju-giga - How Handmade Washi is Made" will be held!

Kikakusha Kazaana (Minato-ku, Tokyo; operated by Styleplus Co., Ltd.), which operates the "Wasino-Neri Project," a project to grow the underproduced raw material for handmade washi, neri (tororoaoi), at home and deliver it to farmers and craftspeople, is celebrating the 10th anniversary since the Japanese handmade washi technique was registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. (operated by Styleplus Co., Ltd., Minato-ku, Tokyo) has produced a handmade washi picture scroll, "Choju-giga: How Handmade Washi is Made," to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the registration of Japanese handmade washi technology as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The exhibition will be held at Nijo Castle, a World Heritage Site, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the registration of Japanese handmade washi as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the first public showing of this picture scroll will be held at a machiya (townhouse) on Yoshiyamachi-Dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City from November 30, 2024 (Saturday).

One side of the process of making handmade washi with caricatures of birds and animals (scene of handmade washi)

The handmade washi picture scroll "Birds, beasts, and caricatures: How handmade washi is made" was commissioned by Kozan-ji Temple on Mount Tsugao, Kyoto, where the national treasure "Birds, beasts, and caricatures" has been handed down. The scroll is over 11 meters long and is made of three types of handmade washi, Hosokawa paper (Ogawa Town and Higashi Chichibu Village, Saitama Prefecture), Honmino paper (Mino City, Gifu Prefecture), and Ishu-hanji paper (Hamada City, Shimane Prefecture), which are registered as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage sites, joined together.

At the exhibition, a copy of "Birds, Animals, and Caricatures: How Handmade Washi is Made," hand-painted in sumi ink on three sheets of paper, as well as a copy of the same design printed on three sheets of paper will also be on display. We hope that visitors will deepen their interest in and understanding of washi by comparing the hand-drawn ink paintings and the high level of Japanese printing techniques on washi.

After the exhibition, the original handmade washi picture scroll "Choju-giga - How Handmade Washi is Made" will be dedicated to Kozanji Temple.

Other events planned at the venue include the sale of original washi goods and workshops on washi.

The machiya where the exhibition will be held is a building specially rented through the courtesy of Kyoto Architecture School. Usually used as a place for students to study, visitors can experience a traditional Kyoto machiya built in the first year of the Taisho Era (1912) and renovated in 2000.

Although the end of the year is approaching, we would like to provide an opportunity for you to experience and be interested in traditional Japanese culture in Kyoto. Please feel free to visit us.

Outline of the handmade washi picture scroll "Birds, beasts, and caricatures: How handmade washi is made"】 【Name of the scroll: Handmade washi

Name of the scroll: Handmade washi picture scroll "Birds, beasts, and caricatures: How handmade washi is made

Size ：Approx. 11.5m (the exact number will be shown when the scroll is completed)

Number of pages : 12 (Chapter 1: Cultivation of raw materials: 4 pages, Chapter 2: Handmade process: 6 pages,

　　　　　　　 Chapter 3: Use of handmade Washi: 2 pages)

Materials: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage registered Ishizuhanshi, Honmino paper, Hosokawa paper

Technique : Ink painting (white drawing)

Form: Scroll

Production status: August: Painting

　　　　　September: Mounting of the scroll

　　　　　　　　Kozanji seal production

　　　　　November: Completion of the scroll with sealing seal on the paper joint at Kozanji Temple.

　　　　　November 30 - December 2: Exhibition

　　　　　After each exhibition, the scrolls are dedicated to Kozanji Temple.

Outline of Exhibitions

Date & Time: November 30 (Sat.) - December 2 (Mon.), 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (until 3:00 p.m. on the last day)

Place: Kyoto Architectural College "Yoshiyamachi School Building

　　　　260 Maruyamachi, Shimotachiuri-shitaeru Maruyamachi, Yoshiya-cho-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8139, Japan

Program Description: Exhibition of handmade washi picture scroll "Choju-giga - the process of making handmade washi

　　　　Sales of handmade washi Zojyu-giga goods

　　　　Exhibition of panels, Japanese paper, and raw materials related to handmade washi

　　　　Sale of handmade washi and original washi goods

　　　　Workshop to touch washi

Admission: 500 yen (with admission ticket using one of the three UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage registered papers)

　　　　Workshop participation fee not included

Priority admission ticket for a specific date and time: 1,500 yen

(Privilege: 1 bookmark printed with a scene from the handmade Washi emaki Birds and Beasts Caricature on any of the three UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage-listed papers specially made for this event (three patterns are available))

Due to the structure of the building, when the venue reaches its capacity due to the large number of visitors, admission will be temporarily restricted for the safety of visitors. During the restricted admission period, only holders of priority admission tickets will be allowed to enter the venue.

*Tickets are for a specific date and time every 20 minutes. There is no changeover system, so please come at your favorite time within the designated time.

There is no limit to the time you can stay.

Priority admission tickets will be distributed at the door on the day of the event.

Same-day tickets will also be sold for 500 yen, but will not include a special admission ticket.

Shoes must be taken off to enter the museum, as no shoes are allowed inside the museum.

There are no elevators in the museum. All steps and floors must be moved by stairs.

There is no dedicated parking space at the venue. Please use public transportation.

A portion of the proceeds will be used to repair the damaged Kozan-ji Temple and to support the cultivation of tororoaoi.

Organized by: Washi no Neri Project (Kikakusha Kazaana)

Cooperated by: Takayama-dera Temple, Kyoto Architecture Academy, Kyoto Architecture College

<Official website of this event, where you can apply for priority admission tickets

Project website: https://www.kazaana.net/tesukiwashi-chojujinbutsugiga/

Poster distribution

We will produce special posters printed on the three UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage registered papers. 10 posters will be limited and only schools, educational facilities, and facilities related to washi production sites will be able to apply. Please apply from the link below. We plan to send them to you in November.

Project website: https://www.kazaana.net/tesukiwashi-chojujinbutsugiga/

<What is the Washi no Neri Project?

This project aims to grow "Trolloa-oi", an essential raw material for handmade washi, for which there is a shortage of producers, at home and deliver it to the Trolloa-oi Production Association and paper makers in Ogawa-machi, Hiki-gun, Saitama Prefecture, as well as developing and promoting washi products. We hope that the cooperation of ordinary households, raw material farmers, and papermaking artisans will help overcome the shortage of raw materials and lead to the continuation of handmade washi.

https://kazaana.net/wasinoneri/

＜What is Kikakusha Kazaana?

Kakuya KAZAANA supports the culture and traditions rooted in each region to connect them to the next generation and to the world. We work with craftspeople to develop new products and plans to revitalize traditional crafts. With an overseas perspective, our Washi notebooks are now on sale in Paris, France.

https://kazaana.net/