: Hidakawashi Co., Ltd. | Japanese Paper for Restoration of cultural assets. The World's Thinnest Paper TENGU, Japan

About HIDAKA WASHI

創業六十年、和紙ひと筋を貫いています－土佐和紙|修復用典具帳紙|ひだか和紙

We have been focused on the theme of "Washi" since our establishment 60 years ago

We have been focused on the theme of "Washi" since our establishment 60 years ago. Not just paper making, but "Washi". This passion can be clearly seen in our company name. Hidaka Washi originated as the TENGU Export Paper Union in 1949 with 10 paper-making craftsmen living in a valley called Kusaka. At that time, hand-made tengu was popular for export as typewriter paper.

The traditional handmade paper-making techniques employed by those craftsmen were applied in our transition to machine paper-making in 1969. Together with this transition our company acquired its first suspended short-wire paper machine and we changed our corporate name to the current Hidaka Washi. Since the era of handmade Japanese Paper, we have concentrated on making washi by applying traditional skills and methods to meet the demands of the times. In order to meet and fulfill the customers' exact requirements, we have continuously upgraded and developed new technologies and skills, and by doing so we have distinguished ourselves as a small but distinctive paper-making company

	Charactor
Traditional, Old Style, and new Japanese Paper	Our machine-made paper is almost indistinguishable from handmade washi. This is because at Hidaka Washi, we have preserved the processes of traditional artisans into the era of machine-made paper. From traditional decorative papers to totally new styles, we produce all sorts of washi. Our decorative paper is so thin that it is likened to the "wings of a mayfly". In addition to producing the thinnest decorative paper in Japan, we also insist on its dazzling white color, which we bleach chlorine-free as bleached papers are needed.

We make the thinnest Japanese paper in the world.	Tengu does not actually originate from Kochi, but Gifu Prefecture, said to be the birthplace of paper in Japan. This paper was already being made in the Muromachi period, and in the Edo period it had various uses such as sketches for woodblock prints, tracing paper, and also in mounting and backing. Sensing the future of these thin papers, Yoshii Genta placed an order for tengu from Gifu Prefecture, and began research and development on a variety of tengu that would be “larger and of better quality." In 1880, the experimental crafting of large-size tengu was a success. “The world’s thinnest paper,” developed by the dexterous techniques and aesthetic sensibilities of Japanese people, has received much acclaim over the last hundred years, and is now making a comeback in important sectors like the conservation of archives, pictures, and sculptures around the world.

Chlorine-free bleaching method (if needed)	We are not only the producer of the thinnest paper in the world but also specialized in making white paper. We had received a customer’s request to produce white paper without using chlorine. At that time, using chlorine to bleach the raw material of Japanese paper was the only way to produce pure white paper. However, once chlorine is used, trace amounts remain in the paper, and can cause a yellow tinge, fading, and degradation. Such paper is not suitable for use in conservation. Nevertheless, sometimes pure white paper is needed for conservation, such as in marking the restored parts or as a base material for dying. (※natural shades of paper may naturally contain unknown minute particles that can cause discoloration and fading) Our method of bleaching does not use any chlorine. It is safe to use and has been approved by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Shikoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry as project of exploitable resources of regional industry. We can produce papers from as thin as 0.02mm (2.0g/1m2). They fulfill all critical requirements for restoration and maintenance: thinness, delicacy of texture and chlorine-free bleaching.