You were invited to a house by your Japanese friend. You were welcomed to a Japanese style room and your friend just left you to go and prepare for your tea. 

Now what can you see?

The first thing you’ve noticed may be sliding doors. Some of them may be heavy-looking and have some drawings on them. Some others may be translucent and through these, natural light is coming into the room.

If you turn yourself to the other side of the room, you may find an alcove in which you can probably find a hanging scroll with calligraphy painted on it.

And in the corner of the room, a white lantern may be on display. The surface may look soft.

So,  what are they all made of? I’m sure you know the answer, right?

The primary material for these items is Washi.

You may have heard of the term before. It’s handcrafted Japanese paper.

Some of them are extremely thin. Some others look thicker. But generally, most of them are very durable. And good washi can maintain its quality even after a thousand years.

So why are they so strong? What makes them so special? And more importantly, what are the major benefits of using washi or washi-made items in this modern society?

To address these questions, we’ll be joined by Paul Denhoed who has been researching washi over the past few decades. He has built knowledge about different types of washi and has studied washi making directly with a Japanese washi craftsman. He is currently working collaboratively to organize washi making workshops as well as tours of papermaking studios and fields where the raw material is grown.

More info about Paul Denhoed can be found on his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/pauldenhoed/

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