内山紙のできるまで
How to make the Uchiyama-Gami

1

楮の栽培／Growing Kozo trees

楮は前年に刈り取った切り株から、毎年春に成長を始めます。草取り、芽かき、間引きなど夏の間に世話をします。
Kozo trees start to grow in early May, then they become 2～4 meters toll in summer.

2

刈り取り／Harvesting

収穫は11月の下旬、楮の葉が全部落ちてから、雪の降る前に行います。
In late autumn, the kozo is cut at the base.

3

かずはぎ／Peeling kozo bark

収穫した楮の枝を蒸して、熱いうちに皮をむきます。
The kozo trunks are steamed for 3~4 hours, and then the bark is peeled off while they’re still hot.

4

しかわとり／Scraping kozo barkKozo trees

表面の黒皮を削って落とします。
Using a tool called “Okaki”, the black parts of the bark are scraped away.

5

雪晒し／Snow-bleachingzo trees

残った甘皮の色を、雪の上に広げてさらします。
The cleaned bark is now seaweed green. It is spread out on top of deep snow, where the sun’s UV rays will turn it white in a few days.

6

紙煮／Cooking

楮の皮をソーダ灰で煮て柔らかくします。
The white bark is boiled for four hours in an alkaline solution.

7

ふしひろい／Removing dust and stains

残った黒皮やキズを取り除きます。
Stains and dust are removed from the bark and it is rinsed in clean water.

8

かずはたき／Pounding

楮をたたいて繊維をほぐします。
The softened bark is laid on a stone table and pounded with a wooden mallet.

9

紙漉き／Papermaking

楮の繊維を水に入れ、ネリを加えて簀桁（すけた）ですくいあげ、たてよこに揺すって均一な紙にします。
The fiber is mixed with water and a glue called “Neri” in a basin. The basin contains a screen that is lifted out of the mixture. This step is repieted several times, making sure the layers are even.

10

紙搾り／Pressing

漉いた紙は紙床（しと）につみ上げて、翌日おもしをかけて水をしぼります。
Many wet, finished papers are stacked and then pressed tightly with a jack.

11

紙干し／Drying

しぼった紙床を一枚づつはがし、干し板にはり付けて乾かします。
The squeezed papers are removed from the stack, one by one. Each sheet is hung on a board and dried in the sun light.

12

完成 出荷・加工／Finishing

完成。注文に応じて裁断や加工をします。
The paper is now finished. Then they are shipped as a raw material or processed.

★ネリとは

紙をすくときに、漉き水に加えられる粘材。オクラの仲間であるトロロアオイという植物の根をつぶすと、ねばりのある液体が取れます。この液体を濾して、漉き水に加えることで、楮の繊維が水の中によく分散し、繊維のよくからんだ丈夫な和紙をつくることができます。このネリの量が紙の仕上がりを大きく左右しますので、紙漉き職人はその日のコンディションに合わせて注意深くネリを調整します。
What is Neri?:
Neri is a sticky liquid which is obtained by crushing the roots of a plant called Tororo-Aoi, a relative of Okra. This liquid is filtered and disperse well in the water, creating strong, tightly interwoven Japanese paper. The amount of Neri greatly affects the final quality of the paper, so papermakers carefully adjust the amount according to the conditions of the day.

★紙漉き道具について

紙をすくときには、木製の桁（けた）と、細い竹ひごで編まれた簀（す）を組み合わせて使用します。これを簀桁（すけた）と呼びます。簀も桁も、水の流れを受け止める強さと、水の流れを妨げない形と滑らかさが要求されるため、制作するには高度の技術と質の良い原材料が要求されます。原材料となる良質の木材と竹材の確保も難しくなる中、今後もこの紙漉き用具制作の技術を保存するため、多くの用具制作者が努力を重ねています。
About Papermaking Tools:
A bamboo screen and wooden frames are used in combination when making paper.
This combination is called “Su-Keta”: A bamboo screen, Su, and a wooden frame, “Keta”.
Both the screen and frame are required strength and smoothness that can receive the weight of the water and not obstruct its flow. So, their production requires high-quality materials and advanced skills. As securing high-quality wood and bamboo becomes increasingly difficult, many toolmakers are working hard to preserve the techniques for making these papermaking tools.