Awagami Washi : Japanese Paper : Masa : 88gsm : 788mmx20m : Roll

Paper Has Played An Important Role In Japanese Culture For Over A Thousand Years, Valued For Its Warmth, Resilience, And Durability Across Daily Life, Ritual, And The Arts. Traditional Japanese Woodblock Printing (mokuhanga) Has Long Used Paper Made From The Inner Bark Of The Paper Mulberry Tree, Known As Kozo. Kozo’s Long Fibres Produce Strong, Highly Absorbent Paper Even When Thin And Dampened. Gampi Fibres, By Contrast, Are Long And Silky, Creating Thin, Smooth, Translucent Paper. Early Papermakers Observed That Gampi Released A Viscous Substance That Slowed Water Drainage During Sheet Formation, Allowing Fibres To Intermix More Evenly. This Effect Was Later Understood As Hydrogen Bonding, A Fundamental Process In Papermaking That Enables Fibres To Adhere As The Sheet Dries. Gampi Was Not A Cultivated Crop So Over The Centuries Papermakers Found Other Sources Of This Substance Now Widely Referred To As Neri. When Papers Are Made Using The Longest Of Fibres, Kozo, In Combination With The Neri It Is Possible To Achieve Papers That Are Thin And Transluscent Whilst Retaining Extraordinary Strength. This Is What Gives Japanese 'washi' Its Distinct Characteristics And Sets It Apart From Western 'yoshi' Papers. The Fujimori Family Has Been Making Paper At The Awagami Paper Mill For Over 300 Years And Eight Generations. Awagami Papers Are Made From Traditional Natural Fibres: Kozo And Gampi As Well As Non-tree Fibres Such As Bamboo, Cotton And Hemp. Awagami Masa Is A Large Format Economical Washi With A Sooth Surface And Bright White Colour. Made From 100% Sulphite Pulp, Masa Is Great All-purpose Paper, Holds Up Well For Large Prints And Is Good Value For Proofing.