Gokayama Washi Paper

The traditions of washi paper-making live on in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Gokayama region, known for its Gassho-zukuri thatched-roof houses. Some 400 years ago, the second feudal lord of the Kaga domain, Maeda Toshinaga, ruled over Etchu (now Toyama Prefecture), and there are records that show that washi paper was presented to him. From that point on, the area’s paper-making was brought under the protection of the Kaga domain and development flourished, with high-quality washi paper production in the area continuing to this day. Washi paper is a part of the culture of Japan’s cities that was cultivated among the nature of mountain towns. Gokayama washi paper, alongside Yatsuo washi paper and Birudan washi paper, is collectively registered as a traditional Japanese handicraft under the name “Etchu washi paper.”