This year, after my encouraging results in workshops both at Bishop’s University last August and in Japan this March, I wanted to try growing my own tororo-aoi plants again. The roots of this plant are used to produce neri, a… Read more ›
This year, after my encouraging results in workshops both at Bishop’s University last August and in Japan this March, I wanted to try growing my own tororo-aoi plants again. The roots of this plant are used to produce neri, a slimy formation aid used in Japanese-style papermaking. I had previously grown some in 2007 in my vegetable garden with moderate success, using seeds I obtained from Tim Barrett at the IAPMA conference in Banff, and also in 2017 in my front garden using seeds from various sources. The 2007 effort gave me several good roots, some of which I’ve used and some of which are still in the freezer. I have yet to thaw them to see if they still produce good neri after 19 years frozen. The more recent crop yielded almost no useful roots, but I don’t know if the problem was growing conditions, soil quality, or plant variety. This time, I have seeds from at least four sources: From the 2017 season I had seeds left over from Richter’s and from AliExpress. From the workshop at Bishop’s University, I had seeds provided by Alex (the workshop lead) and seeds that we had gathered from the 2025 crop during the workshop. I planted the seeds in a covered tray under grow lights on May 6th, and by the 14th they had pretty much all sprouted. I had thought the seed coats would need nicking so I cut a chunk of the seed coat on half the seeds, but it appears this was unnecessary, and perhaps even detrimental as some of the sprouts pushed themselves up instead of pushing their root into the soil. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4640" class="wp-image-4640 size-medium" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-300x224.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="224" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-300x224.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-768x575.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-1536x1149.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-2048x1532.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-100x75.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-150x112.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-200x150.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-450x337.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-600x449.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_110225-900x673.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> May 16th, 10 days after seeding: Sprouts from 10 seeds each, left-to-right, gathered at the workshop, from Alex at the workshop, from Richter’s, and from AliExpress The seeds from Richter’s were two or three times larger diameter than the other seeds but the seedlings did not seem much different once they started to grow. These plants produce a strong taproot so I wanted to get them out of this tray into deeper soil as soon as possible. I also wanted to be able to transplant them into the garden with minimal root disturbance (it was still too early in spring to put them out). To this end, I used cardboard toilet-paper rolls, split lengthwise, held closed with a couple of elastic bands, and filled with potting soil. I put one plant in each tube and kept them well-watered until transplanting outside.<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4641" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-300x215.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="215" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-300x215.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-1024x735.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-768x552.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-1536x1103.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-2048x1471.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-100x72.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-150x108.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-200x144.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-450x323.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-600x431.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260516_141915-900x646.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />I still had old seeds left over so I seeded them back into the tray, and they sprouted within five days: <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4642" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-173x300.jpg" alt="" width="173" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-173x300.jpg 173w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-589x1024.jpg 589w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-768x1334.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-884x1536.jpg 884w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-1179x2048.jpg 1179w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-100x174.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-150x261.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-200x347.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-300x521.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-450x782.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-600x1042.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-900x1564.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260521_120300-scaled.jpg 1473w" sizes="(max-width: 173px) 100vw, 173px" />On May 31st, when we were sure of no frost, I transplanted these all into our front garden. I had placed them outside a few days ahead to harden off a bit in the windy weather. Unfortunately most of the plants from the second round did not survive the handling during transplanting: the stems are still crisp and easy to snap, and at one point the wind blew the tray over, damaging many of the plants. The ones in the cardboard tubes went in fine, though, and after a couple of days to see what survived I direct-seeded into the gaps. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4643" class="size-medium wp-image-4643" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-300x142.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="142" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-1024x484.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-768x363.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260615_114458-900x426.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Some of the direct-seeded plants, about 7 days after seeding In the end I have 30 plants growing. The 11 direct-seeded ones are of course smaller than the 19 transplanted ones, but also there are three or four transplanted ones that are clearly larger than the rest. In the process of all the transplanting I did not keep track of which plants came from which seeds, but these may have come from the larger seeds from Richter’s. Once the plants set fruit and the pods ripen I can see if these plants also produce larger seeds. The first pods on the first-flowering plant will be pure-bred but most of the pods will be hybrids between the plants. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4644" class="size-medium wp-image-4644" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-297x300.jpg" alt="" width="297" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-297x300.jpg 297w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-1015x1024.jpg 1015w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-768x775.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-1522x1536.jpg 1522w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-100x101.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-150x151.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-200x202.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-300x303.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-450x454.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-600x605.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300-900x908.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260624_164300.jpg 1908w" sizes="(max-width: 297px) 100vw, 297px" /> The front garden on June 24th The goal is, of course, not larger seeds but larger roots. Come harvest time I will be weighing the plants and the roots to see if there is any correlation between the source of the seed (as well as I can determine that) and the yield, and keeping seeds from the plants that produced the best roots. The one conclusion so far is that these seeds will keep for many years and still give excellent germination rates. Their main requirement is sufficiently warm soil. The direct-seeded plants showed about 80% germination rate, similar to the seeds planted indoors. The transplanting took its toll, though, giving an overall 50% survival rate from seed to live plant (not including the total loss of the second indoor planting). On the other hand, the transplants have several weeks’ additional growth and so I would assume will result in larger plants and larger roots.
We will be holding our Introductory Papermaking workshop on Saturday, August 15th, 2026. The workshop runs from 9am to 4pm with a 1-hour lunch break, at our shop in New Dundee, Ontario. The cost for the workshop is $80 plus… Read more ›
We will be holding our Introductory Papermaking workshop on Saturday, August 15th, 2026. The workshop runs from 9am to 4pm with a 1-hour lunch break, at our shop in New Dundee, Ontario. The cost for the workshop is $80 plus HST, for a total of $90.40, including materials.
Monotype Computer Interface—Complete at last!
Equipment Acquisition, Repair, and Maintenance
After far too long the computer interface for my Monotype Composition Caster is complete. In this case, “complete” means that it is a single self-contained unit with no straggling wires. My last step was to add a housing/support bracket for… Read more ›
After far too long the computer interface for my Monotype Composition Caster is complete. In this case, “complete” means that it is a single self-contained unit with no straggling wires. My last step was to add a housing/support bracket for the power plug connector and 24 volt power supply. The design for this had to be adjusted so the entire unit would still fit on the caster. <img class="size-medium wp-image-4620 alignleft" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-150x300.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-150x300.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-511x1024.jpg 511w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-768x1538.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-767x1536.jpg 767w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-1022x2048.jpg 1022w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-100x200.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-200x401.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-300x601.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-450x901.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-600x1202.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-900x1803.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152023-scaled.jpg 1278w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-4621 alignright" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-162x300.jpg" alt="" width="162" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-162x300.jpg 162w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-553x1024.jpg 553w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-768x1421.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-830x1536.jpg 830w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-1107x2048.jpg 1107w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-100x185.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-150x278.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-200x370.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-300x555.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-450x833.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-600x1110.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-900x1666.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152031-scaled.jpg 1383w" sizes="(max-width: 162px) 100vw, 162px" /> <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4622" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-201x300.jpg 201w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-685x1024.jpg 685w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-768x1149.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-1027x1536.jpg 1027w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-1369x2048.jpg 1369w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-100x150.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-150x224.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-200x299.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-300x449.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-450x673.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-600x897.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-900x1346.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152039-scaled.jpg 1712w" sizes="(max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px" /> Click on any photo for a larger version. Here’s how it looks on the caster with the air regulator, filter, and pressure gauge installed: <img class="alignright wp-image-4624" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-261x300.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="207" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-261x300.jpg 261w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-892x1024.jpg 892w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-768x882.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-1338x1536.jpg 1338w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-1783x2048.jpg 1783w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-100x115.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-150x172.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-200x230.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-300x345.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-450x517.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-600x689.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411-900x1034.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152411.jpg 1793w" sizes="(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px" /> <img class="alignleft wp-image-4626" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-266x300.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="203" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-266x300.jpg 266w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-909x1024.jpg 909w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-768x865.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-1364x1536.jpg 1364w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-1818x2048.jpg 1818w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-100x113.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-150x169.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-200x225.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-300x338.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-450x507.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-600x676.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422-900x1014.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152422.jpg 1908w" sizes="(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px" /><img class="aligncenter wp-image-4625" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-236x300.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="229" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-236x300.jpg 236w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-804x1024.jpg 804w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-768x978.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-1206x1536.jpg 1206w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-1608x2048.jpg 1608w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-100x127.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-150x191.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-200x255.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-300x382.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-450x573.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-600x764.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404-900x1146.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527_152404.jpg 1790w" sizes="(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px" />I guess this now qualifies as a finished prototype. I will be updating my drawing files to match how this was made, since as the work progressed I deviated from the original design where the changes seemed like an improvement. The updated design will have some other changes on the internal parts to accommodate a proper case, to replace some of the obsolete components on the PCB, and to relocate the internal cycle sensor. I should also change the pneumatics on my caster so this filter/regulator unit feeds the entire caster, and a flexible hose tapping off this would connect to the computer interface. This would mean that features like Unit Shift would work, and also that there would be less weight hanging off the front of the interface.
Other notes This is a bit of a wrap-up along with some reference links shared during the workshop Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Travel and sightseeing Part 3: Extracurricular activities Part 4: The actual papermaking workshop A book on tool… Read more ›
Other notes This is a bit of a wrap-up along with some reference links shared during the workshop Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Travel and sightseeing Part 3: Extracurricular activities Part 4: The actual papermaking workshop A book on tool making One book available to us during breaks was the a report on traditional Japanese papermaking tools. We had a printed copy to look through, but it is also available as a PDF file through the above link. The PDF file has text in it (rather than just page images) but I’ve been unable to get translations so far, as the PDF file is locked to prevent content copying or even printing. All I can do is take screen shots in the PDF viewer, and translate the screen shots of a page at a time. While at the workshop I was using Google Lens on my phone to get the gist of some of the contents. The title page reads: Record of Techniques for Making Handmade Washi Paper Tools National Handmade Washi Paper Tools Manufacturing Technology Preservation Society 40th Anniversary Commemorative Publication Two of the introductory pages read: Chapter 1: A Note on Publication I. A Greeting on the Publication (Keiko Ihara, Chairperson, National Association for the Preservation of Traditional Handmade Washi Paper Making Techniques) The National Association for the Preservation of Handmade Washi Paper Tools was designated a nationally selected organization for the preservation of traditional techniques in 1976, and this year marks its 40th anniversary. It is with great joy that all members of the association can publish the “Record of Handmade Washi Paper Tools Production Techniques” to coincide with this momentous occasion. Our preservation society has so far played a role in the field of handmade Japanese paper by creating tools, but as we commemorate our 40th anniversary, we would like to make even greater efforts to contribute to the preservation and development of handmade Japanese paper, a traditional craft. Handmade washi paper from all over Japan embodies the wisdom and spirit of people’s lives in the past, and the fundamental techniques behind it are important skills that are still relevant today. However, today, the techniques of handmade Japanese paper are being forced to change with the times, and in many cases, their continuation is at risk due to a lack of successors. In light of these realities, we sincerely hope that the precious local handmade washi paper will be preserved and passed down to future generations. Therefore, the members of this preservation society will dedicate themselves to refining their respective tool-making techniques and training successors. Our preservation society publishes an annual journal, “Bamboo, Wood, Thread, and the Immersion of Bamboo Baskets” (the cover of the inaugural issue is shown on the next page), which records the status of technical exchanges and skill transfer activities at training sessions, as well as the training of successors. Including these contents, we have created a technical record book that also includes valuable photographs and technical records from our predecessors, as well as the “Field Survey Report” by Professor Yanagibashi, who made significant contributions to the establishment of our preservation society. Although this is a very modest commemorative publication, we hope that it will be of some small help in the future inheritance and development of handmade Japanese paper and the tools that support it, and we pray that the history of handmade Japanese paper and tool making in each region will be preserved and passed down for generations to come. Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those involved who provided various forms of cooperation in the publication of the “Record of Techniques for Making Handmade Washi Paper Tools.” II. On the Publication of the Technical Record of the Selected Preservation Technique “Manufacturing of Handmade Washi Paper Tools” (Cultural Properties Department, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Traditional Arts) (Toyoko Kondo, Chief Cultural Property Investigator, Crafts and Technology Division, Cultural Affairs Section) I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations on the publication of the “Record of Handmade Washi Paper Making Techniques” by the National Association for the Preservation of Handmade Washi Paper Making Techniques, the organization that preserves this technique, as it marks the 40th anniversary of the designation of the “Handmade Washi Paper Making Tools” technique as a nationally designated preserved technique. Selected preservation techniques are those techniques selected by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology under the Cultural Properties Protection Law as “traditional techniques or skills indispensable for the preservation of cultural properties that require preservation measures.” Along with the selection, the holders and preservation organizations (organizations that carry out preservation work) of these techniques are also certified. When this system was established by the amendment of the Cultural Properties Protection Law in 1975, the technique of “making tools for handmade Japanese paper” was selected the following year, 1976, along with 15 other techniques, and was quickly positioned as a technique that should be preserved by the nation. The organization certified as the preservation organization for this technique is the National Association for the Preservation of Handmade Japanese Paper Tool Making Techniques. We express our deepest respect to the members of the Preservation Association for their efforts in refining and improving the techniques for making high-quality tools and training successors, amidst the continuing difficult situation of declining demand for tools due to the decrease in handmade Japanese paper technicians and the difficulty in obtaining high-quality raw materials. In 2014, “Sekishu Hanshi” and “Hon Mino Shi” were designated as Important Intangible Cultural Properties by the Japanese government (certified by the preserving organization). Three techniques related to “Hosokawa paper” have been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, as “Washi: Traditional Japanese Handmade Paper Techniques.” “Perhaps as a result of these efforts, the art of handmade Japanese paper is being re-recognized as a regional traditional culture, and initiatives to establish a foundation for its transmission are being seen in various places. One of the factors that gives Japanese handmade Japanese paper its beauty, folding resistance, and water resistance is the precisely and robustly crafted papermaking tools. We hope that this “Record of Handmade Japanese Paper Tool Manufacturing Techniques” will be used and contribute to the preservation and transmission of handmade Japanese paper tool manufacturing techniques in the future.” For clarity, the organization was founded in 1976 and this is their 40th year, with the publication coming out in 2016. The document includes historical photos of toolmakers many of whom had passed away before publication. One somewhat amusing thing I found using Google Lens was part of making brushes for transferring the damp paper from the post to the drying surface. There was a recipe for the glue used to hold the bristles which called for “glue, pine tar, and gold dust”. Neither Paul nor Imai-san knew what this “gold dust” referred to. After much Google searching I’ve concluded that this is a brand name of pastry flour that was available back in the day. Perhaps if we had asked an old Japanese baker they would have instantly known what this was. I found one possibly stale B2B web page listing this product and brand name, describing it as having about 8% protein and made from Canadian wheat. So the term “glue” likely refers to gelatin-based hide glue, and the “gold dust” refers to a starch paste or low-protein wheat paste, and the whole witch’s brew must have been quite a sticky mess. Unfortunately no proportions are given, nor the effects of altering proportions. Photos of this particular brush-making process show that the glue is made up in advance as hard sticks, which are rubbed onto a hotplate to melt the required amount of glue, with the glue being applied to the bristles by dipping and spreading with a stick or spatula. Bibliography for conservation Clara supplied this link to a list of publications which provide specialized vocabulary for various fields one might encounter while doing conservation work. Oguni Washi Calendar 2026 Oguni Washi produced a broadsheet calendar for 2026, and we each received a copy, on the same size paper as we were making.<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4617" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-300x180.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="180" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-300x180.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-1024x615.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-768x461.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-1536x922.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-2048x1229.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-100x60.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-150x90.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-200x120.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-450x270.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-600x360.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/calendar-illustration-900x540.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />I’m not sure who actually made the illustration, but the calendar came with a sheet giving the folk tale that inspired it. One side of the sheet seems to be some translation of the other, though both sides seem to be in Japanese. Google Translate provides the following English version of the first page: 2026 Oguni Washi Original Calendar “Tochio Horse Market” There was a story about a wealthy man who employed a young man. And so the master kept horses. Every morning before breakfast, the young man would go to a mountain called Kannondo to cut grass for his horses. There lived two foxes, Sansuke and Gonsuke, on Kannondo mountain. One morning, as the young man went to Kannondo mountain to cut grass as usual, he overheard the two foxes consulting with each other. “Gonsuke, Gonsuke. It’s alright. You and I should team up and make some money. Tomorrow is the horse market in Tochio, so I’ll transform into a horse, and you transform into the young man and drag me there to sell me at the horse market,” they said. Then Gonsuke the fox said, “Yes, that sounds interesting.” “If I turn into a horse and get bought, I’ll run away in the middle of the night, so you take the money and come back here right away. We’ll split it.” And so they were making arrangements. The young man who overheard them thought, “That’s a good idea. Tomorrow I’ll go early and lead Sansuke the fox away.” So the next morning the young man went to where Sansuke the fox was on the mountain of Kannondo and said, “Hey, Sansuke, I’ve come to pick you up. Hurry up and turn into a horse.” “Hey, Gonsuke, you’re quick again. You’ve transformed into a young man so well again. From your voice to your appearance, you really are just like one of the young men of my master. Alright, I’ll transform into a horse too,” he said, and he flipped over and turned into a magnificent horse. The young man led the horse and trotted along to the horse market in Tochio, where he lined it up amongst a crowd of horses. There, a merchant named Nigoro came along and said, “This is a fine horse. How much is it?” “Well, I’d say about five or six ryo,” the young man replied. “Good, then if you sell it for five ryo, I’ll buy it,” the merchant said. “Yes, that’s fine,” the young man replied, and sold the horse for five ryo. The young man took the five ryo and went home, saying, “Mother, mother. The foxes are going to come and say something tomorrow, so please make them some red bean rice and kenchin soup.” Meanwhile, Sansuke the fox, who had been sold as a horse, returned to the mountain of Kannondo in the middle of the night, crying “kon kon kai kai” as he transformed back into his original fox form. “Hey Gonsuke, come here now.” “Yes, Sansuke, where have you been?” “What are you talking about? Where have I been? You took me to the horse market in Tochio yesterday, sold me, and brought the money back, didn’t you?” To which he replied, “No, it wasn’t me. You weren’t there when I went to pick you up.” “I see, in that case, one of the master’s young men must have heard what I was saying and dragged me out. In that case, I’ll transform into the master, and you come with me. Let’s go and get that money back.” And so the two foxes went down the mountain with the master. “I’m sorry. I’m a porter who bought a horse from the young men here, but the horse ran away last night, so I’d like to have it back. If you don’t have the horse, I’d like my money back,” he said. “Is that so? Well, come on in and have breakfast,” the mother said, so the foxes went up and sat down. Then they were served a big feast of red bean rice, kenchin soup and sake, and the foxes ate until they were full, and the sake took effect, and they fell fast asleep. And when the sun came up, it had turned back into a fox with its big tail sticking out. “Oh, look, a fox has come out here,” everyone said, and tried to rip it off, but the foxes said, “Oh dear, we can’t win against humans,” and timidly ran back to the mountain where Kankando Temple is located. Strawberry popped open. From “Tochio Horse Market” Material cooperation Goze Song Network (Translation on the back) The “translation” on the back appears to also be Japanese, but with different characters, for which Google provides the slightly different English translation: Once upon a time, there was a nobleman who had a young man working as his servant. The nobleman kept horses, and every morning before breakfast, the young man would go to a mountain called “Kannon-do” to cut grass to feed the horses. Two foxes, Sansuke and Gonsuke, lived on the mountain where the Kannon Hall stood. One morning, as the young man went to cut grass as usual, he overheard the foxes consulting with each other. “Gonsuke-don, Gonsuke-don. How about we team up and make some money? Tomorrow is the horse market in Tochio, so I’ll transform into a horse. You transform into a young man, lead me there, and sell me at the horse market.” Then Gonsuke the fox said, “That sounds good, it would be fun.” “If I’m bought as a horse, I’ll run away in the middle of the night and come back, so you bring the money and come back here right away. We’ll split it.” That’s what they were talking about. The young man who heard this thought, “That’s good to know. I’ll go early tomorrow and bring Sansuke the fox.” The next morning, the young man went early to the mountain where the Kannon Hall was located and headed towards Sansuke the fox. “Hey, Sansuke, I’ve come to pick you up. Hurry up and turn into a horse.” Then Sansuke the fox said, “Oh, Gonsuke, you’re pretty quick. You’ve managed to transform into a young man again. Your voice and appearance are just like the young man from your master’s household. Alright, I’ll transform into a horse too.” Saying that, he flipped over and transformed into a magnificent horse. The young man led the horse, trotting along, to the horse market in Tochio. I placed it in a spot where there were many other items lined up. Then the master of a place called Nigoro came along, “This is a good horse. How much is it?” “Well, I’d say about five or six carriages.” When the young man said that, the master replied, “Alright, then I’ll buy it for five ryo.” “Yes, that’s fine.” Thus the young man sold the horse for five ryo. He took the five ryo home and asked his mother, “Mother, mother, the foxes might come and say something tomorrow, so please make them some red bean rice and kenchin soup to treat them.” Meanwhile, Sansuke the fox, who had been sold as a horse, returned to his original form in the middle of the night, crying “Kon kon kai kai” as he went back to the mountain where the Kannon Hall was located. “Hey, Gonsuke, I’m home now.” “Hey, Sansuke, where have you been?” “What are you talking about? Where have you been? You took me to the horse market in Tochio yesterday, sold me, and brought the money back, didn’t you?” “No, it wasn’t me. You were already gone when I went to pick you up.” “I see, so that young man of the master must have heard our story and taken me with him. In that case, I’ll disguise myself as the master of the luggage, and you come with me. We’ll go and get that money back.” With that, the two foxes transformed into the master and his attendant and descended the He said, “Excuse me. I’m the man who bought a horse from the young man here, the porter’s husband. The horse ran away last night, so I’d like to have it back. If you don’t have the horse, I’d like my money back.” “I see. Well, come on in and have breakfast.” “That’s what the mother said, and the foxes came inside and sat down. Then, a feast of red bean rice, kenchin soup, and sake was served, and the foxes ate until they were full, and the sake took effect, causing them to fall into a deep sleep. Then, as the sun rose, a large tail appeared, and it transformed back into its original fox form. “Oh, a fox has come out here!” When everyone tried to catch them, the foxes “Ah, we are no match for humans.” “Here it comes,” he said, and then, with great fear, he finally managed to flee back to the mountain where the Kannon Hall was located. It’s over. Picture pattern flower production Oguni Washi Production Cooperative 145 Oguriyama, Oguni-machi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture Phone 0258 (41) 9770 Supplier links We also passed around a few links to suppliers of some materials: Kaki-shibu <img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-4608" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/kakishibu-300x149.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="149" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/kakishibu-300x149.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/kakishibu-100x50.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/kakishibu-150x74.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/kakishibu-200x99.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/kakishibu.jpg 377w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Mimasa Yoshishichi Shoten Co., Ltd. is a supplier of kaki-shibu in various forms, both liquid concentrate and powder. Although they sell by mail-order I don’t know if they ship outside of Japan. Their online order forms only support Japanese shipping destinations. Silk sewing thread <img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-4607" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/thread-235x300.jpg" alt="" width="235" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/thread-235x300.jpg 235w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/thread-100x128.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/thread-150x192.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/thread-200x256.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/thread-300x384.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/thread.jpg 391w" sizes="(max-width: 235px) 100vw, 235px" />Yuzawaya Shoji Co., Ltd is a general craft supplier which was recommended as a supplier of the silk thread we used to create our wa-toji books. They have several retail locations throughout Japan, and also sell through various online shops. The thread we were using came on small 20m cards branded KNK, from Kanagawa Co. Ltd., and based on a Google Lens translation, is labeled Oritsuru No. 16 “silk buttonhole thread”. This thread does not appear to be available through Yuzawaya’s “world” shop, but using the company’s own shopping cart system you can find this thread in 145 colours, costing ¥407 (about CAD4.00) for a 20m card. This seems to be a different ordering system than Yuzawaya’s “Online store for everyone living overseas” shopping site, and uses a forwarding service called WorldShopping, so there are additional shipping and handling fees to be considered. Items going to Canada are shipped DDU (duties unpaid) so the courier company used may have their hand out for duties and their own customs processing fees before they’ll give you the parcel.
The actual papermaking workshop At last, on to the actual workshop! Please also see the other parts of this series: Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Travel and sightseeing Part 3: Extracurricular activities Part 5: Other Notes Monday: Fibre Preparation We… Read more ›
The actual papermaking workshop At last, on to the actual workshop! Please also see the other parts of this series: Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Travel and sightseeing Part 3: Extracurricular activities Part 5: Other Notes Monday: Fibre Preparation We were using fibre from previous years’ kozo harvests, when the stems had been steamed and the bark stripped off and dried. We started with this raw bark, which had been soaked to soften it up again, and spent a good chunk of the morning scraping off the “black bark”, which is the outermost bark layer that you see on the surface of the live stems. This bark is a fairly thin, almost flimsy, non-fibrous layer which was scraped off by dragging the bark strips against large kitchen knives with a scrap of carpeting as a backer. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4540" class="wp-image-4540 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-768x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="807" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-225x300.jpg 225w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-100x133.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-150x200.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-200x267.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-300x400.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-450x600.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-600x800.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/010BD6DF-1120-408F-B51D-9868CEA10A22Shrunk-2-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Scraping off some of the green bark. Bits of the black bark, already all removed, are visible on the table By adjusting the blade angle, you could control how much of the next layer, the “green bark”, is also scraped off, leaving the inner “white bark”. The white bark is the thickest layer and the cleanest fibre, producing the whitest paper, while the green bark provides better inter-fibre bonding but contributes a yellow-green colour to the finished paper, which eventually ages to a pale brown. Removing as much green bark as possible will give the whitest paper but will reduce yield because of the fibres of the green bark being lost. After scraping, the bark strips were given a quick swish in clean water to rinse away any remaining loosened bits of outer bark After lunch, we loaded a cooking pot with the fibre we had scraped. The pot contained water which had been leached through wood ashes, making it alkaline. This was left to cook through the day; the original plan was for us to do draining and rinsing as well, but the cook started late, so Imai-san did the draining and rinsing after supper once we were all back in Nagaoka. While this was cooking, we worked on snow-bleaching. After a short discussion on the process, we each put out a few strips of the bark we had scraped to bleach on the snow for a few days. <img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4541" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-1024x985.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="582" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-1024x985.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-300x289.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-768x739.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-100x96.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-150x144.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-200x192.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-450x433.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-600x577.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153-900x866.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/F3C5707A-9771-434F-BA45-6C6B4C2A2153.jpg 1423w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> We also prepared for bleaching a batch of scraped bark Imai-san had; this had been dried for storage and had to be soaked before bleaching. We put up the soaked fibres in small bundles using zip-ties for easy handling in the bleaching process, but by then the day was warming enough that the crust on the snow could not support us reliably, so we had to wait until morning to put them out. We left the bundles hanging on pipes overnight; they would dry out a bit but not enough to interfere with bleaching. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4552" class="size-large wp-image-4552" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="454" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-300x225.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-768x576.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-100x75.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-150x113.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-200x150.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-450x338.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-600x450.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/39CAB271-3D33-447B-A5EB-058869490336Smaller-900x675.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Soaked bark strips, in bundles, ready for tomorrow’s bleaching Tuesday: Making the pulp In the morning, we laid out Imai-san’s fibre prepared the day before onto the snow for bleaching. The snow is still quite deep here, over 1 metre, so morning is be best time to do this because the snow has a crust to support our weight. As the day warms up, the crust softens and it is much more likely that you might sink up to your hip into the snow. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4542" class="size-large wp-image-4542" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-1024x975.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="576" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-1024x975.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-300x286.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-768x731.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-1536x1462.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-100x95.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-150x143.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-200x190.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-450x428.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-600x571.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804-900x857.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260316_141804.jpg 1908w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Imai-san’s snowshoes for when the snow is too soft <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4543" class="size-large wp-image-4543" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-919x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="674" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-919x1024.jpg 919w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-269x300.jpg 269w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-768x856.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-1379x1536.jpg 1379w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-100x111.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-150x167.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-200x223.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-300x334.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-450x501.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-600x669.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7-900x1003.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A75F5B7A-E6DB-4A7A-9551-A3DCEF1749D7.jpg 1838w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Contrast between the fibre we put out and what had been bleaching for a few days. The stake shows the date, March 12th, so the whiter stuff has been out for 5 or 6 days. Note the brown flecks and cut ends on the fibre <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4544" class="size-large wp-image-4544" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-485x1024.jpg" alt="" width="485" height="1024" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-485x1024.jpg 485w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-142x300.jpg 142w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-768x1623.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-727x1536.jpg 727w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-969x2048.jpg 969w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-100x211.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-150x317.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-200x423.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-300x634.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-450x951.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-600x1268.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-900x1902.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_100402-scaled.jpg 1211w" sizes="(max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" /> Some of the fibre we set out to bleach. The bundles should really be smaller The evening before, Imai-san had drained and rinsed the cooked unbleached fibre, and for us, after lunch, it was on to the tedious task of chiri-tori, removing any small dark flecks that would disfigure the finished paper. This involves carefully examining each strip of cooked bark while it is floating in water, and picking out any dark bits. These come from the cut ends of the strips, stumps of side branches, and insect or other damage to the plant while it was growing. You can see these on the close-up of bleaching fibre, above. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4545" class="size-large wp-image-4545" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="340" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-300x169.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-768x432.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-100x56.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-150x84.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-200x113.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-450x253.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-600x338.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02D7E04A-C7ED-4BFF-9EB0-314CA1EC549A-900x506.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Chiri-tori. Some of us sat down for this but I found this put me at an awkward height, so I just stood <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4546" class="size-large wp-image-4546" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-768x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="807" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-225x300.jpg 225w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-100x133.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-150x200.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-200x267.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-300x400.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-450x600.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-600x800.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61595677_0.jpg 1108w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Close-up of the process, with me trying the seated position. Unprocessed fibre is draped over the side of the tub. Cleaned fibre is piled loose on the plank, and dark bits are rinsed off our fingers into water in the smaller tub These dark bits, along with some of the black and green bark removed Monday, were collected to use as a decorative feature in some of the paper we will make. This stuff is considered a flaw in what should be a plain white sheet, but is a feature when used deliberately to decorate the paper. Once the cooked fibre was cleaned of flecks, it was time for beating. We beat some of the fibre by hand using a couple of styles of beating tool, but we loaded most of the fibre into the studio’s naginata for mechanical beating, so we would have enough pulp ready for the next day. <!--[if lt IE 9]> <![endif]--> https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/313ee9b7-7b8e-4bc8-9a75-87b49bfacfde.mp4 <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4548" class="size-large wp-image-4548" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-485x1024.jpg" alt="" width="485" height="1024" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-485x1024.jpg 485w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-142x300.jpg 142w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-768x1620.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-728x1536.jpg 728w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-971x2048.jpg 971w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-100x211.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-150x316.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-200x422.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-300x633.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-450x949.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-600x1266.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-900x1899.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260317_143129-scaled.jpg 1213w" sizes="(max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" /> The naginata beater. The shaft rotates clockwise seen from this end, and for size reference, the channel under the blades is about 40cm (16″) wide. The blades are not very sharp, so the effect is mostly to tease the fibres apart by dragging them rapidly through the water While we were beating our fibre, Imai-san was busy preparing neri, the slimy formation aid made from tororo-aoi roots. He goes through a lot of this in his own papermaking, and so prepares it in large batches. Rather than growing the plants himself, he buys the tororo-aoi roots; I’m not sure if this is because the plant grows better further south, or if this is just another complication he wants to avoid. He smashes the roots on the floor using a heavy wooden post as a stamper, and places the roots into a tub of water. After soaking for a while, the water, now very slimy, is decanted off, and the roots are put into a sieve to continue draining. The drained roots are usually given a second soak and drain to extract more neri. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4575" class="size-large wp-image-4575" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-768x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="807" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-225x300.jpg 225w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-100x133.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-150x200.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-200x267.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-300x400.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-450x600.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-600x800.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4EBF62EF-98BE-4649-8F51-A7B030791822-2-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> The neri formation aid draining off the crushed and soaked tororo-aoi roots To remove the finer dirt from the formation aid, the liquid is poured into a pillowcase and hung up to drain. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4576" class="size-large wp-image-4576" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-490x1024.jpg" alt="" width="490" height="1024" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-490x1024.jpg 490w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-144x300.jpg 144w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-768x1605.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-735x1536.jpg 735w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-980x2048.jpg 980w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-100x209.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-150x313.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-200x418.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-300x627.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-450x940.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-600x1254.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-900x1881.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/C6D58301-BD7D-4E84-A1FD-832ED2031B6A-scaled.jpg 1225w" sizes="(max-width: 490px) 100vw, 490px" /> Filtering the neri using a pillowcase Mid-afternoon, we learned how to charge the vat, add neri, and get everything sufficiently dispersed. The vats are fitted with a maze (pronounced mah-zay), a frame with several teeth submerged in the vat water, pivoted horizontally above, which is vigourously pulled back and forth to break up the clumps of added fibre and help disperse the neri. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4553" class="size-large wp-image-4553" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="340" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-300x169.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-768x432.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-100x56.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-150x84.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-200x113.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-450x253.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-600x338.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/61780D3B-6567-4CEA-BC55-83702D9022CD-900x506.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Michele using the maze on his vat on Wednesday The maze usually leaves some smaller soft fibre lumps, from the fibres that drape onto its teeth, so the final dispersion is done with a pole, again very vigourously run through the vat water. Here is Imai-san showing the final stirring technique on our vat. That tearing “shoomph” sound means you’re doing it right. It seems that, unlike the maze teeth, the pole does not accumulate fibres. This is likely partly because of its larger diameter, slicker surface, and the circular motion used. https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/978f50e9-024e-44c1-940a-f7891daa061d.mp4 We then learned how to actually form and couch the sheets. Our su (screen, pronounced “soo”) had thin bamboo strips at the top and bottom edges, and our keta (support frame and deckle, pronounced “kay-tah”) consisted of two separate flat frames, the lower one having two ribs to support the central area of the su. Before making each sheet we had to position the su on the lower frame of the keta, place the upper frame lined up on top, and hold tightly while making the paper so nothing shifted. When Imai-san is making his paper, he uses a su with larger wooden sticks top and bottom, and a keta with a hinged top and cutouts to hold the wooden sticks of the su in position. We each made a few sheets from a shared vat for practice, and couched them all onto a shared post with coloured Post-It tabs identifying which sheets were whose. The opening in the keta is 29×40cm, so most of our sheets are this size as well. Normally, paper made this way is couched with no separators between the sheets, just a ribbon or thread along one edge to help to start parting the sheets after pressing. For us beginners, though, we had some very light spun-bonded polyester interfacing sheets to separate the paper. After forming each sheet and removing the upper half of the keta, we would lay the interfacing onto the sheet, then transfer the su, paper, and interfacing together to the post, interfacing side down, and remove the su. There were various steps (su placement on keta, placing the interfacing, and laying the su/paper/interfacing onto the post) providing inaccurate positioning, so our posts we made the next day were, at least at first, not very straight stacks. I eventually got the knack of ignoring the position of the interfacing, and positioning the starter strip of the su relative to the board under the post which gave a neater post. Imai-san’s setup has alignment blocks so he can easily get the sheets stacked neatly, which is much more important because he is not using separators between the sheets, just an edge ribbon. Wednesday: Making paper We started the day by each preparing our own vat for papermaking: Adding fibre, breaking it up with the maze, adding neri (usually done by either Paul or Imai-san so we get a suitable amount), and final mixing with a pole. We then spent the morning making paper. Every papermaker has their own technique for actually forming the sheets; the method Imai-san showed us was to start with three quick dips, just picking up a bit of vat water on the near edge of the sugeta (su and keta together) and tipping it back to run to the far edge where it is tossed back into the vat. This forms a thin starting layer of fibre on the su. Then the main body of the sheet is formed by taking full dips in the vat, more or less filling the upper half of the keta frame, and moving/rocking the sugeta to and fro to keep the water moving on the su, and once maybe half or two thirds of the water had drained through the su, tossing the remaining water back into the vat. The rocking motion aligns the fibres and also prevents larger fibre clumps from settling on the su; these get thrown back into the vat, leaving a sheet made of fine fibres. You could also rock the sugeta side-to-side to produce a paper with more cross-grain. Once you felt your sheet was thick enough, one more quick dip (like the starting dip) produced a uniform surface and it was time to couch off the sheet. As beginners we judge the sheet is finished by essentially counting how many dips and how long each is kept on the su, but as fibre is used up in the vat this will make the sheets thinner and thinner. The proper way is to visually evaluate how much fibre has accumulated on the su, but that requires a lot more experience. I don’t have a video of any of us making a sheet on our sugeta, but further down there is one of me making a sheet on Imai-san’s larger setup. We would then remove the upper keta frame, and hold the su and lower keta frame tilted for a few second to allow some water to drip off. Then we cover the su and paper with a sheet of interfacing, and pick up the su, paper, and interfacing all together from the near edge of the su, holding the su vertically, interfacing/paper away from us, with our other hand holding what was the far edge. We would then simultaneously turn around (our posts were behind us) and also flip the su top-to-bottom. We place what was the far edge of the su onto the top of the post, trying to get the new sheet lined up with ones already there, and lower our second hand so the su and paper roll onto the top of the post, until what was the near edge when on the keta is laid down at the far edge of the post. The goal is to not trap any air pockets between the sheet and the top of the post. A quick outward rub on the back of the su can be used to try to expel any bubbles and get good contact between the sheets. We seemed to have our own preferred hand choices for the transfer process; I picked up the near edge with my right (dominant) hand, and that hand then ends up rolling the sheet onto the post, with my left hand having positioned the starting edge. Based on photos, it looks like Michele did the same but Clara did the opposite, and Alex, who is left-handed, also used reversed hands but it was still his dominant (left) hand picking up the near edge. Now it is time for the trickiest part, removing the su (and leaving the sheet on the post undamaged). Imai-san and Chihiro-san showed us two different techniques for this: Imai-san’s method is to lift the edges of the su, about halfway down either side, separating the su from the sheet along two tip-to-tip wedge-shaped areas, then sliding our lifting fingers towards us moving these separated wedges towards us as well. Once we reached the edge strip of the su (which was as flexible in this orientation as the splints of the su) this would leave us with the near edge of the sheet mostly separated. We continue moving our lifting fingers around the corners of the su and towards each other and then press down on the ends of the edge strip. This would flex the center of the strip upwards lifting it off the sheet. Then the entire su could be peeled off the sheet away from us. This method only works when the su has thin flexible edge strips. Chihiro-san’s method is the more usual one, used when the su has rigid sticks along its edges. You essentially lightly press down on the stick and immediately tip it up and away from you and quickly lift it a bit, maybe only a centimetre or half an inch, checking if the su has separated from the sheet along the entire edge. If it hasn’t, you put the stick back down and try again, making sure in particular that the spot that did not separate gets pressed down. Once the edge has separated cleanly, you peel off the su as in the other method. I don’t have a video of the entire process in sequence, but in this clip you see Clara removing the upper keta frame, draining the sheet a bit, and reaching for a piece of interfacing, Alex laying his su and sheet on his post, and me lifting off the su using Chihoro-san’s method. https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/795654382.799928.mp4 This is actually from our Thursday session and Michele is doing water-drop paper, a special decorative technique. And yes, once we got into it, the room was very quiet. When we returned from the Shimenawa workshop after lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon making more sheets. We also each got a try using the large mould and vat which Imai-san had set up for making his own paper. Because he already had several sheets of his own paper in the post, he did the couching for us so we would not destroy his work. During the day, in addition to working on some of his own paper production, Imai-san also pressed and dried our shared post from Tuesday so we got to see our first finished sheets. https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/795530745.439132.mp4 Throughout Wednesday, Imai-san was also preparing some bleached pulp for us to use Thursday. We were partway back to Nagaoka when he realized he had left the heat on the cooking pot and we had to turn back so he could turn that off. By Thursday morning he had this fibre drained, rinsed, chiri-tori’d and beaten in the naginata, and had also pressed his own post that contained our large sheets. Thursday: More paper, and pressing and drying On Thursday morning, we made paper using snow-bleached pulp which Imai-san had prepared for us. Our posts from the day before were also placed in the press and the water was slowly pressed out. For our paper, the press is just a small screw-press, which we occasionally tightened using just a single finger on the bar to avoid pressing too fast. If you press too fast the outward movement of the water will drag fibres with it, giving the sheets a bulgy shape and making them hard to separate. As pressing neared completion we would use a short pipe on the bar to get a bit more force. <img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4564" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-776x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="798" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-776x1024.jpg 776w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-227x300.jpg 227w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-768x1014.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-1163x1536.jpg 1163w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-1551x2048.jpg 1551w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-100x132.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-150x198.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-200x264.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-300x396.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-450x594.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-600x792.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805-900x1188.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260319_093805.jpg 1898w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> In the afternoon, we re-loaded our vats, with one vat of bleached pulp from the morning, one with the “chiri” pulp which included black and green bark and chiri flecks from earlier in the week, one with the unbleached pulp, and one with a varying blend of bleached and unbleached. We used the various vats to make decorated paper in various styles, mostly by combining a sheet of the white pulp with a layer of either the chiri or unbleached pulp. Chiri sheets were just sheets made from unbleached pulp that included the chiri flecks and some black bark. <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4584" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-300x217.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="217" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-300x217.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-1024x742.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-768x556.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-1536x1113.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-2048x1483.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-100x72.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-150x109.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-200x145.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-450x326.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-600x435.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171545-900x652.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Stencil sheets were made by combining a sheet made with a stencil on the su surface with a full sheet made with a contrasting pulp. These elements were either made separately and couched onto each other, or formed on top of each other on the su and couched together. Our stencils were supported on full sheets of fine mesh so we had to use the double-couching method, but if using a stencil whose open areas are fully open and with good control of the sheet forming, you could remove the stencil from the su leaving the stenciled sheet behind and form the backing sheet right on top of the stencil sheet. I couched them onto each other and had a bit of trouble both while peeling off the su and also later when separating the pressed paper, because the two layers did not bond very well. I also did not get the two layers aligned well, so the sheet is a couple of centimetres oversize. <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4585" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-300x213.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="213" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-300x213.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-1024x726.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-768x545.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-1536x1089.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-2048x1453.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-100x71.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-150x106.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-200x142.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-450x319.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-600x426.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171623-900x638.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> By holding a thread between both hands, and dipping it in the vat, it comes out draped in fibre. This fibre can then be applied to the top sheet on the post or on the su and the thread slipped out the end, leaving a line of fibre on the base sheet. I did this with threads of chiri pulp on a bleached background sheet, but even done with the same pulp as the base sheet, the line reveals itself with a different sheen because the fibres on the thread are all aligned. <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4586" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-300x216.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="216" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-300x216.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-1024x737.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-768x553.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-1536x1105.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-2048x1473.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-100x72.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-150x108.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-200x144.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-450x324.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-600x432.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171434-900x648.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4587" class="size-medium wp-image-4587" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-142x300.jpg" alt="" width="142" height="300" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-142x300.jpg 142w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-485x1024.jpg 485w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-768x1623.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-727x1536.jpg 727w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-969x2048.jpg 969w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-100x211.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-150x317.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-200x423.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-300x634.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-450x951.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-600x1268.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-900x1902.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171507-scaled.jpg 1211w" sizes="(max-width: 142px) 100vw, 142px" /> Close-up angled shot shows a bit of the fibre sheen on the upper edge of the lines Water-drop sheets are made by sprinkling water onto the sheet on the su from a suitable height to form a pattern of small circles on the paper. This can be done either with a single-colour sheet, producing a pattern seen mostly as a watermark, or you can have two pulps laminated on the su, and the craters wash away the top colour revealing the colour of the lower layer of the sheet, as shown here. <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4588" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-300x215.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="215" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-300x215.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-1024x734.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-768x551.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-1536x1101.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-2048x1468.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-100x72.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-150x108.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-200x143.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-450x323.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-600x430.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171410-900x645.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> I also made a sort of ombré sheet, by starting the sheet with just a quick dip in the chiri pulp along the top and bottom edges, backing it up by forming a full sheet of white on top of that. <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4589" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-300x219.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="219" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-300x219.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-1024x746.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-768x560.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-1536x1120.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-2048x1493.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-100x73.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-150x109.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-200x146.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-450x328.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-600x437.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260514_171324-900x656.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> By lunch our posts from Wednesday were pressed, so during the afternoon, we took a break from making paper to learn how to dry the paper. The studio has two heated paper driers, which are stainless steel boxes standing on edge about 20cm thick and maybe 2m wide and tall, heated by hot water flowing inside. The sheets are peeled off the post one at a time and applied to the heated surface, using a horse-hair brush to help support the paper and smooth it onto the drier. At first we transferred the paper with its underlying interfacing to the drier, applied it to the heated surface, and peeled off the interfacing, but I found it easier to transfer the sheet by itself (which one would do anyway if the post contained no separators). It is easier to get the sheet wrinkle-free using the interfacing, but I found that peeling the interfacing from the drying surface often lifted the sheet away, making wrinkles anyway. https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/795740127.100369.mp4 I didn’t always have to fiddle that much to avoid wrinkles. After only a minute or two, the paper would be dry and could be peeled off to make room to dry more. We also each dried our own large sheet we had made an Imai-san’s vat; being a larger sheet, the pattern of brush strokes to get it wrinkle-free was quite different. Imai-san makes it look easy… https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/f0849917-3414-4354-98c5-7bdeba448553.mp4 https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/795740126.872996.mp4 Friday: More pressing and drying, and paper projects Some of our posts from Thursday had been pressed overnight, and Friday morning we were pressing the rest of them and drying our paper. After lunch we tried a couple of paper treatments. One of these is a starch-like substance called konnyaku. This comes as a powder, which is a ground-up tuber of the konjac plant, amorphophallus konjac, which is dissolved in water. The liquid has to be left to stand for a while while the starchy powder swells and dissolves, producing a thick, somewhat gelatinous liquid. This is applied to the dried paper, usually by dipping, but also by brushing. The paper is then dried, and the result is a paper which is much more resistant to tearing with a sort of leathery feel to it, and although not waterproof, it has great wet strength once the konnyakyu has been set. Konnyaku as applied here is not water-resistant but it can be set, making it permanent, by placing it for a minute or two in boiling-hot lime water (that is, calcium hydroxide, not the citrus fruit). I’m not quite sure whether it is the alkalinity of the lime water, or the calcium ions, or perhaps a combination of the two, that actually makes the konnyaku permanent. The other treatment is called kaki-shibu, which is a dark reddish-brown tannin-rich product made from the juice of underripe persimmons. This is generally brushed onto the paper, as dipping in this runny, staining, liquid would be a messy process. Again the paper is dried, and over a few days, the tannins in the juice form a permanent bond with the fibres. This gives the paper a bit of a reddish-brown colour (which will darken as it ages), and a very crisp, crackly texture. As with the konnyaku it adds to the paper strength but also helps it repel water. Several coats can be applied in succession to make an almost completely waterproof paper. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4571" class="size-large wp-image-4571" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-1024x631.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="373" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-1024x631.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-300x185.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-768x473.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-1536x946.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-2048x1261.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-100x62.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-150x92.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-200x123.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-450x277.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-600x370.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260320_134040-900x554.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> On the left are my treated sheets drying in the loft. The front three are treated with kaki-shibu, and the other two with konnyaku One thing we also did with our sheets was to make momogami. This is paper which has been repeatedly crumpled to give it a permanent wrinkled texture. Many people believe that momogami requires konnyaku-treated paper but that is not the case. Although konnyaku-treated paper may hold the crumpling better, especially if crumpled while applying and setting the konnyaku, any paper can be crumpled in this manner to make momogami. Our final project in the afternoon was using some of our paper to make a small blank stab-bound book, a traditional style known as wa-toji. By this time our treated papers were dry, so I used one of my kaki-shibu momogami sheets for the covers. The inside of the book was made with five sheets of paper cut in two, so contained ten leaves. As it traditional with these books, the paper was folded back on itself, good side out, with the crease at the outside edge, producing a book about a quarter of the size of the original sheets. Because there is some paste drying involved, we left our partially-finished books to dry under a weight overnight. Saturday: Finishing the books, and workshop wrap-up The books had been bound already with internal structural sewing of the pages, but Saturday morning we did the decorative outer sewing, which also holds the covers in place, and added a label for a title.<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4572" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-1024x718.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="424" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-1024x718.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-300x210.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-768x539.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-1536x1077.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-2048x1436.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-100x70.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-150x105.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-200x140.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-450x316.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-600x421.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260321_120216-900x631.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" />
I was casting some type this week when I noticed an oddity on the font schemes listed in the back of the The Monotype Casting Machine Manual, which is the basis for my usual casting font schemes. The font scheme… Read more ›
I was casting some type this week when I noticed an oddity on the font schemes listed in the back of the The Monotype Casting Machine Manual, which is the basis for my usual casting font schemes. The font scheme gives the count of how many of each sort are cast to make up a font, and these were based on English text from around the early twentieth century. Although some foundries would sell type with uppercase, lowercase, points (punctuation), and figures each being packaged separately, allowing the customer to make their own upper-/lowercase balance, the Monotype schemes are for a complete set including both upper- and lowercase as well as figures and points. There are two basic schemes: The ‘body’ scheme represents the letter frequencies encountered when composing running text in full sentences and paragraphs. The ‘jobber’ scheme represents the frequencies encountered when composing titles, headings, point-form lists, and other such items which generally require many more uppercase letters. If you compare the two classes of schemes, it is generally the case that the counts of lowercase are the same, but in the Jobber schemes, the uppercase count if increased by about 2 less than 0.28 times the count of the corresponding lowercase. So, for instance with the letter ‘e’, either scheme has 118 lowercase, the body scheme has 12 uppercase, and the jobber scheme has 44 uppercase, which is close to 12+0.28×118-2 (equaling about 43). That 0.28 figure is very vaguely in the ballpark of the reciprocal of the average word length (5 letters), and so what you would expect for titles, where pretty much every word is capitalized. For the rarer letters, this formula gets fudged a bit, with uppercase ‘Z’ having 4 sorts in either case, and ‘F’ having 6 in body and 10 in jobber, but with 24 lowercase, the formula yields 13. Some other letters are one or two extra uppercase away from the formula as well. The real outlier, though, is M, where the jobber scheme actually has 4 fewer than the body scheme, 14 in jobber, 18 in body. It seems that the inconsistency is in the count in the body scheme, where, for instance M far outnumbers L, C, or U (6, 8, and 6 respectively) which have similar lowercase counts (14 or 16). It is not clear if this is a typo in the table itself, showing 18 instead of 8, or whether they did not, in fact use general English text as their sample, but instead their own books and literature, which would be peppered with the capitalized “Monotype” trademark throughout! As an aside, my earlier remark about using “early twentieth century” text as a sample is reflected in the figure frequencies, where 1 and 9 are heavily represented, as one would expect when usually referring to years in the 20th century. I should probably modify the schemes I use to add more 2’s and 0’s to better reflect the years one might now be mentioning.
Monotype Computer Interface Compatibility Woes
MS Windows So far, I have been using a MS Windows system to connect to my Monotype computer interface. The software that runs on the computer is written in Java so it can be run on other operating systems without… Read more ›
MS Windows So far, I have been using a MS Windows system to connect to my Monotype computer interface. The software that runs on the computer is written in Java so it can be run on other operating systems without needing to be modified or compiled for that system. All you need is to have a sufficiently new Java installation on the computer. Moving to Linux I had recently set up a Linux system (specifically, Ubuntu) and one thing I wanted to try was my computer interface. After a bit of fiddling around, one change in the Java code, and one change in the firmware on the interface, I got it to work. Sort of. There are some issues, though: The first is that, as with many other devices, Ubuntu presents the connected USB devices as special files in its file system. By default, only root (the “super user”) can access these files, so for now to get things to work I must use the root account to grant access to these special files to my (unprivileged) user account. Each time the USB is disconnected and reconnected, a fresh special file entry is made, so the permissions must be fixed again. Ubuntu provides a solution to this problem. There is a specific shell script which is run when changes are made to these special files, and this script runs as root, so it can sniff the new files and, based on what it finds, do things, including setting permissions, to suit. For this interface, code can be added to the script to recognize the Monotype interface and set the required permissions automatically. The second problem is that the communications seem a bit flaky. At times the Java code is unable to obtain even basic information like the device type. It seems that the code on Linux that is communicating with the USB interface does not do any retrying if there is a transient error. Some analysis reveals that at some level this appears as the standard Linux error code EPIPE, but other USB-specific code is referring to a STALL condition on the interface. For some reason this is not a problem on my Windows systems; perhaps either the transient errors are not occurring, or some code in Windows automatically retries on error. This still needs some investigation. The final issue, for which I currently have a fix on Linux, is that in the Monotype interface, I am using the code provided in the microcontroller’s built-in ROM to manage the device end of the USB interface. This code, however, only gives me the choice of two USB device classes: Mass Storage (like thumb drives and external hard drives) and Human Interface Devices (like mice, keyboards, and such). Of the two only the HID class really matches my communications requirements. Having some weird unknown HID plugged in doesn’t bother Windows at all, but on Linux, any plugged-in HID gets “claimed” by the system—whether or not it knows what to do with it—and so my Java code was told it could not access the interface because it was already in use. Fortunately, the USB library I am using (known as ‘libusb’ and its Java wrapper ‘usb4java’) has the ability to claim the interface from the system when necessary. What about MacOS (Linux but not really) ? I also want this interface to work on MacOS, and using Java should be able to make this work; MacOS is essentially Linux under the covers. Unfortunately, based on my reading, MacOS has its hold on HIDs well locked down, and it is essentially impossible to wrest control of an HID from the system. There is the possibility of using another library called ‘hidapi’, which was originally separate from libusb but now appears to be part of newer versions of libusb. It also appears to be part of newer versions of the usb4java Java wrapper so I should be able to access it from Java. Whereas libusb uses ‘ioctl’ (“I/O Control”) system calls to do its work and so needs to own the interface, hidapi uses ‘read’ and ‘write’ system calls instead. This means the system can keep its hold on the interface, and so, at least in theory, this should work on MacOS as well. The only oddity is that the data for the read and write calls includes an extra byte or two, apparently to tell the system which “endpoint” (a USB concept) to communicate with. So this solution needs me to find and use a newer usb4java that also supports hidapi, and also to ascertain what these extra bytes really are in the read and write data. But the real root of the problem is that the Monotype interface is not an HID; it is really a custom device and should not be masquerading as an HID-class device at all. The ROM in the microprocessor is only really providing a thin wrapper for the actual embedded hardware USB controller, and I should be able to make my firmware use this controller directly, and identify itself as a custom-class device. This may, however, open its own can of worms, for instance making Windows freak out and try (and fail) to find a suitable driver every time you plug in the USB cable. As well, I don’t know if there actually is an official “custom class” to use; if I just pick some random class ID it could turn out to be a real published class (or could become one in the future), with standards that my device does not follow at all. But I think the latter approach is the better one in the long run, though it could run into a roadblock that requires me to roll back to the HID approach and using hidapi. This approach also means that if I end up having to change which microcontroller I use, I’m not relying on the ROM support and so any microcontroller with a USB interface should suit.
Extracurricular activities Outside the actual workshop, we had various activities and side trips to occupy our downtime. For other parts, please see: Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Travel and sightseeing Part 4: The actual workshop Part 5: Other Notes Arrival… Read more ›
Extracurricular activities Outside the actual workshop, we had various activities and side trips to occupy our downtime. For other parts, please see: Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Travel and sightseeing Part 4: The actual workshop Part 5: Other Notes Arrival in Nagaoka I arrived in town about an hour before the other participants and walked to my hotel, the Route Inn Nagaoka Ekimae just across the street from the train station. It was before the check-in time of 3pm, and I expected to have to leave my luggage in storage until then, but my room was already ready so I got to check in early. Paul Denhoed, the workshop organizer, had already made all the booking arrangements including my extra night’s stay after the workshop due to the timing of my return flight. I returned to the train station to meet everyone else as they arrived, and we all trekked back to the hotel and checked in. Paul actually lives in Tokyo so he was also staying at the hotel. One interesting perq of the hotel was that you had the option to forego some of the full daily room cleanings, and instead receive tokens for either of the dispensing machines near the lobby, one for alcoholic beverages, and one for non-alcoholic. The tokens are different and so you have to decide when you collect the tokens, though I expect you could trade them at the front desk. Daily schedule Every day, we would get breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Breakfast was a buffet which included some western items (generally scrambled eggs, bacon or sausages, and bread) but was mostly Japanese food usually also with some other Asian offering like a curry or stir-fry. There was always soup, and a rice dispensing machine—you put your bowl on the stand and press a button for a small, medium or large serving! <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4516" class="wp-image-4516 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-649x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="955" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-649x1024.jpg 649w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-190x300.jpg 190w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-768x1213.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-973x1536.jpg 973w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-1297x2048.jpg 1297w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-100x158.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-150x237.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-200x316.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-300x474.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-450x711.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-600x947.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-900x1421.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070053-1-scaled.jpg 1621w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> The rice dispenser. I had already learned the kanji for small (小) and large(大) from the flush buttons on the toilets <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4517" class="wp-image-4517 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-1024x679.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="401" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-1024x679.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-300x199.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-768x509.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-2048x1357.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-100x66.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-150x99.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-200x133.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-450x298.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-600x398.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260317_070437-900x596.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> One day’s partially-eaten breakfast. Selection and camera framing varied from day to day Through the workshop, after breakfast we would meet in the hotel lobby around 8:30. From there, Imai-san would ferry us in a rented van to the Oguni studio, perhaps a 20 or 30 minute drive. On the way out of Nagaoka we would stop each day at a Harashin grocery store and each of us would pick out some take-out pre-made meal for lunch. The Oguni studio is out in the countryside so there are no convenient lunch places nearby. Lunches were included with the workshop fees, so Imai-san (or, perhaps, Paul) would purchase all our chosen food. Once at the studio, we would go through the morning program for the day, and then eat lunch in the studio where one section was set off as a sort of meeting area with chairs and a large table. We’d make tea or coffee and miso soup to accompany the lunches we had picked out. Most days, someone will have chosen some dish, often strawberries or other fruit, to share amongst ourselves with lunch. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4518" class="size-large wp-image-4518" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="340" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-300x169.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-768x432.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-100x56.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-150x84.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-200x113.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-450x253.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-600x338.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/75732BCE-2CAB-407D-98D3-A869288A8DB9-900x506.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> The meeting table where we ate lunch. Here we are actually examining booklets of sample papers Paul has prepared for us The lunch area was also sort of the display area for products when customers visit the studio, so there was a rack of paper samples, as well as various cards and gifts. After lunch we had the afternoon program for the day. Once that was done, if we has spare time, we’d sit around the lunch table and talk paper or papermaking tools, or explore the studio asking questions about things not specifically covered in the workshop. Generally around 5 or 6pm, we’d all pile back into the van and Imai-san would drive us to someplace for dinner, a different place each day. Dinner was not included in the workshop but for convenience Imai-san would pay, and the cost would be divided and appear on our final accounting for the workshop (as would our hotel rooms). Usually around 8 or 9pm we’d be back in our rooms for a good sleep. Imai-san would return home (almost right next to the studio) for the evening, perhaps stopping at the studio for some unfinished prep work for the next day. Outings and side trips In the late afternoons and evenings we had several activities outside of the studio. I may have the schedules a bit mixed-up here because this is mostly from memory, and of the photos we shared amongst ourselves only the few I took had date-stamps. Wednesday Mid-afternoon we had a short craft project, making a traditional style of home decoration from rice straw. This was hosted at Chihiro-san’s father’s house (IIRC), which is just across the river from the studio and next to the Imai’s own house. These items are actually more than just decoration, but traditionally are also, for lack of a better description, a sort of fertility charm to ensure a good harvest of rice. The craft is called shimenawa, and I’m sure my description underplays its social and spiritual significance. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4519" class="size-large wp-image-4519" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-768x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="807" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-225x300.jpg 225w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-100x133.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-150x200.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-200x267.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-300x400.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-450x600.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-600x800.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61620253_0.jpg 1108w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> This was the instructor’s; ours did not all turn out quite as pretty Afterwards we returned to the studio, and Paul handed out booklets of paper samples he had made up for us, so we could see how variations in materials and techniques affect the final paper. In the evening, we went to dinner in Nagaoka, and while waiting in our private room for the food to arrive, Chihiro-san entertained us with free-hand paper cutouts of animals we requested. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4527" class="size-large wp-image-4527" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-1024x436.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="258" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-1024x436.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-300x128.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-768x327.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-1536x654.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-100x43.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-150x64.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-200x85.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-450x192.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-600x255.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts-900x383.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Animal-Cutouts.jpg 1703w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Michele’s cat, my raccoons, and Alex’s “une loutre” (otter, I had to translate for him). Unfortunately I didn’t get Clara’s photo, but I believe she asked for a mermaid Thursday Thursday evening, we visited the Imai’s home for dinner. Afterwards we also each made little presentations of what sort of work we’re doing and how it connects to the workshop. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4521" class="wp-image-4521 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="340" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-300x169.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-768x432.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-100x56.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-150x84.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-200x113.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-450x253.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-600x338.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742-900x506.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726742.jpg 1706w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Imai-san is behind the camera for this, and that’s one of his daughters at the table with us. The room dividers are all paper from his studio Friday With most of the workshop behind us, we went to Echigo Kawaguchi Onsen (public bath) to unwind. This place is a sort of resort, which includes hotel rooms, restaurants, rental houses, and exercise rooms in addition to the baths. Some of the outdoor bathing areas provide a spectacular view of the river valley below. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4525" class="size-large wp-image-4525" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-1024x485.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="287" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-768x364.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-1536x728.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-2048x971.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260320_202238-900x427.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Outside the onsen as we were leaving Clara went to the ladies’ public bath, and the four of us took a private room. This allowed us to talk freely, as loud conversation (or for that matter, pretty much any conversation) is frowned upon in the public baths, and also meant Michele would not have any hassle with his tattoos. Onsens do not allow tattoos in the public baths because of their historical association with Yakuza criminal gangs, although they will usually allow a small one if covered up. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4523" class="size-large wp-image-4523" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="454" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-300x225.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-768x576.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-100x75.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-150x113.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-200x150.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-450x338.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-600x450.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990-900x675.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/990.jpg 1477w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Unwinding in the lounge after unwinding in the bath (photo by Alex) <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4524" class="size-large wp-image-4524" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="340" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-300x169.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-768x432.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-100x56.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-150x84.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-200x113.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-450x253.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-600x338.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743-900x506.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/S__61726743.jpg 1706w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Further unwinding with a beer before dinner at the onsen (photo by Imai-san) Saturday The morning was spent at the studio, finishing off some odds and ends. We returned to Nagaoka just after lunch, and did a bit of local sightseeing on the way back to town. Then it was time for everyone to go on their way back home. Michele had to leave a bit earlier and had said his goodbyes the night before, but I was staying an extra night in Nagaoka so I accompanied everyone to the train station to see them off. I spent the late afternoon exploring the area around the train station and civic centre, and out of curiosity (and because I was admittedly getting a bit tired of rice) I walked to a nearby McDonald’s to see what a Big Mac was like in Japan. The answer: pretty much the same as back home, and about the same price too. Other western chain brands I saw included KFC and, at least in Tokyo, 7-11 convenience stores. Apparently it is a big thing to have KFC on Christmas day in Japan!
Travel and sightseeing For my trip to Japan for the Oguni Washi intensive workshop, I opted to stay a few days in Tokyo beforehand. This gave me a better combination of travel time and airfare for the flights, and also… Read more ›
Travel and sightseeing For my trip to Japan for the Oguni Washi intensive workshop, I opted to stay a few days in Tokyo beforehand. This gave me a better combination of travel time and airfare for the flights, and also gave me some time to adjust to the 13-hour time difference from home. Please also see the other parts of this series: Part 1: Introduction Part 3: Extracurricular activities Part 4: The actual workshop Part 5: Other Notes One nice surprise was the cost of things, in general. I’ve heard that Japan has a reputation of being an expensive place to travel, but I found that the costs for meals and local transportation were not much different than back home, and the hotels, at least the ones I stayed at, were cheaper than at home. It was very convenient that at the time, the Japanese Yen was worth almost exactly one Canadian cent, so converting prices in my head was trivial. Given the high standards for the transportation systems, it was actually much better value that at home. The flight out I had a direct flight from Toronto to Haneda Airport on Air Canada, flight number AC 1 (!). I also booked Air Canada’s bus service from the Waterloo Regional Airport to Toronto. At the time there seemed to be no additional cost for this, and it has the big advantage that it is considered a leg of the journey so it the bus were late (for instance, due to traffic) and I were to miss the flight to Haneda as a result, I would be re-booked on a later flight. The flight was pretty much a great circle course (the equivalent to a straight line on a sphere), which took us over Great Slave Lake and Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories. I didn’t get good pictures of these through the window, but I did get a good shot of the Mackenzie River. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4503" class="size-large wp-image-4503" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-1024x485.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="287" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-768x363.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260310_184143-900x426.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> The Mackenzie River, about halfway between Normal Wells and Fort Good Hope Only once over Alaska did we veer a bit more to the south and east to avoid some rough weather. The entire flight we were chasing the setting sun, but crossed the international date line, so we landed pretty much the same local time as the local time of departure, but one day later. Arrival and accommodations My flight arrived at Haneda airport, and I took the Keikyu train (which seamlessly converts to the Asakusa line) from there to the Takaracho stop, which was within a block of my hotel, the Sotetsu Fresa Inn Tokyo Kyobashi. Many of the train systems seem to share both track and rolling stock, so I quickly learned never to rely on the appearance of the train to identify the line or route. This was central Tokyo, so real estate is scarce, and this was true of the hotel room as well. The only place to open my suitcase was on the bed, but the bed was large enough I could leave the suitcase open there and still have room to sleep. The room rate included breakfast at the Sushi Japanese Bar Tokyobashi located on the ground floor which offered a 4-choice fixed breakfast menu. Although one of the choices was a western breakfast of sausage, eggs, etc. I opted for the Japanese breakfasts; one was the “Japanese Plate”, a somewhat traditional breakfast, the other was the “Omakase Seafood Bowl”, essentially sashimi on a bed of rice. A fourth choice was a vegetarian salad with bread. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4493" class="size-large wp-image-4493" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-1024x485.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="287" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-768x364.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-1536x728.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-2048x971.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_075338-900x427.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Japanese Plate. The little cup in the middle contains natto, a fermented soybean product. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4494" class="size-large wp-image-4494" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-1024x485.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="287" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-768x364.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-1536x728.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-2048x971.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_075456-900x427.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Omakase Seafood Bowl The natto was a new experience for me. I found that I liked the flavour, and the texture in my mouth was fine, but the slimy coating from the fermentation process made it very challenging to get the stuff from the bowl to my mouth in any neat manner. Having a beard did not help. There is clearly an acquired knack to picking up a bit of the stuff and giving it a spin around the rim of the bowl to break off the threads of slime that stretch from the bowl to the chopsticks! Tokyo Train station My first “sightseeing” task was to figure out the layout of the nearby Tokyo central train station, to be sure that I could catch my Shinkansen train to Nagaoka without having to arrive at the station too early. The station is almost split in two by a central area that you can only enter with a paid train fare. At street level, there is a somewhat unobvious passage at the north end of the station connecting the old red-brick station building (on the western Marunouchi side) to the more modern entrances (on the eastern Yaesu side), and each of these sides has fare turnstiles into the central fare-paid area. This area gets you the the platforms for most trains, but if you are taking the Shinkansen you must pass a second set of turnstiles to reach its special platform. Both sides of the station are packed with shops, and there is (at least) one basement level with more shops and restaurants. There is an entire “Ramen Street“, and also “Tokyo Character Street” lined with shops selling licensed merch. Underground also connects to nearby buildings, stores, and subway stations. One thing I noticed was that, other than in restaurants and toilets, there is absolutely no place to sit down in and around the station. I suppose they don’t want people lingering as it is busy enough as it is. Getting around Tokyo I purchased a 3-day Tokyo Metro (subway) pass to get around town and that proved very convenient. The trains run very frequently but the nine lines form a complex network so Google Maps was invaluable for trip planning. Some of the stations seem insanely complicated (for instance, see the diagram of Otemachi station, which services five subway lines) but all the lines are identified by colour and letter (mnemonic of the romanized name of the line) and all stations are clearly numbered. On the trains digital displays show the diagram of the line with current and next stops, connections at the next stop, and a diagram of the platform so you know which way to turn to make your next connection or reach the correct station exit. These signs (as well as audio announcements) are both in Japanese and English. Signs on the platforms give recommendations on which car to board to make the next connection more smoothly. Most of my trips started and ended at the Kyobashi station (G-10 on the yellow Ginza line), a block from my hotel. This station has nine exits, and at least once I took the wrong exit (7 instead of 6) and was completely disoriented trying to find my hotel even though I was less than a block away. Whether it is worthwhile taking the subway for just one stop often depends on which end of either station you are at or want to get to, since, at least downtown, the walking distance between the nearest exits of adjacent stations is about the same as the walking distance from one end to the other in any single station. I had good weather so I suppose that on cold or rainy days, the one-stop trip might be more worthwhile. Museum of Printing My longest subway trip was my visit to the Printing Museum, located at the base of the Toppan Building, an office tower that is home to the large printing and graphic media company of the same name. This museum includes a letterpress workshop, but either taking the workshop or touring the room requires advance booking, and this was all filled by the time I was planning things. You can, however, see inside the workshop through windows, and some equipment on display includes a Benton engraver, some sort of pivotal type caster, and an Albion printing press.<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4504" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-667x1024.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="929" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-667x1024.jpg 667w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-195x300.jpg 195w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-768x1179.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-1000x1536.jpg 1000w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-100x154.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-150x230.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-200x307.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-300x461.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-450x691.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-600x921.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage-900x1382.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Equipment-Montage.jpg 1296w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> For workshop purposes, the room contains perhaps a dozen printing stations, each with a case of Japanese type and an Adana press. One other display showed the steps in the making of the famous “Wave” print, more formally “The Great Wave of Kanagawa“. The display include eight printing blocks (reproductions, I’m pretty sure), proofs of each block in its colour, and also proofs showing the cumulative image as each block is printed, all finishing with a reproduction of the final print.<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4505" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-1024x485.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="287" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-768x364.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-1536x728.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-2048x971.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260313_120812-900x427.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Much of the hall shows a history of printing technology in general, and one wall chronicles the history of typeface design and its relationship to printing technology advances. Most of the displays are in Japanese and English, and I used Google Lens to translate some of the Japanese-only signs. Imperial Palace On day I took a guided a tour of the Imperial Palace grounds, lasting about an hour. Although I could have easily walked there, I took the subway to the nearby Otemachi station so I would be on time for the early tour group. I had actually walked to the area of the palace the day before and taken a little walk in the outer gardens, but this day was an official tour of the inner grounds. You can book these ahead but you can also just show up and wait in line. They took groups of about 200 people at a time, but the tours are offered in 6 languages (Japanese, English, Spanish, French, and two others I forget) so I chose the French tour. This was nice because our own group was only about 8 people, including the guide. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4508" class="size-large wp-image-4508" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-1024x485.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="287" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-768x363.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260314_103731-900x426.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> The Ishibashi bridge, seen from the Tetsubashi Bridge, both part of the ceremonial palace entrance route. After the formal tour I walked to Kitanomaru Garden, not actually part of the Palace but just to the north and ate lunch at a cafe there. That garden includes a Science and Technology museum, but looking online seemed to indicate that it is mostly kid-oriented, so I returned to the East Garden of the palace for a self-directed walk. The East Garden features several botanical collections including orchards, an iris garden, and a bamboo garden. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4507" class="size-large wp-image-4507" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-1024x953.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="563" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-1024x953.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-300x279.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-768x715.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-1536x1430.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-100x93.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-150x140.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-200x186.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-450x419.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-600x559.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1-900x838.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bamboo-Garden-1.jpg 1594w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Some views of the bamboo garden. Note how there can be a pattern of alternating segments between the nodes. Old Shimbashi Station Railway History Exhibition Hall <img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4497" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-1024x485.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="287" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-768x364.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-1536x728.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-2048x971.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_154637-900x427.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" />When Japan first opened up to foreign, especially Western, trade during the Meiji restoration, one of the first things they did was set up railroads. The first line ran south from the Shimbashi Station in Tokyo to Yokohama. Shimbashi Station was destroyed in a 1923 earthquake, and passenger service now uses a nearby station of the same name, but a replica of the old station building has been rebuilt on its original location as a historic site. In certain parts of the building, glass panels show the original building foundations. It contains a permanent exhibit of some early railroad and station history in one of the wings, along with a gift shop. Unfortunately, most of the display had only Japanese signage, and phones and cameras were not allowed, so Google Lens was out as a translation tool. The rest of the building is general-purpose exhibit halls; one contained a collection of recent award-winning books from around the world, and in another area was the Oi Ocha Museum of Tea, a kids-friendly exhibit from a popular brand of green-tea-based beverages. The book display was for winners of book-design awards, including the Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada. Behind the station, alongside the platform, they have the mile zero marker post and a short run of the style of track used at that time. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4498" class="wp-image-4498 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-1024x485.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="287" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-300x142.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-768x363.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-100x47.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-150x71.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-200x95.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-450x213.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-600x284.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260312_163223-900x426.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> Unlike modern rails, these have a dumb-bell cross-section and sit on special saddles on each tie. You can just barely see in this photo the hardwood blocks used to pin the rails into the saddle plates. Nihonbashi Bridge On the day I had to board the Shinkansen to Nagaoka, I had a couple of hours to spare, so I just walked north from my hotel. On this otherwise quiet Sunday morning, they seemed to be filming a car commercial along the street as I saw several cars drive by trailed closely by another car with a remote-control boom camera aimed at it, with private security staff every block keeping an eye on things. In a few minutes I had reached one of the canals that form part of the old defensive network built around the palace area during the Edo period. The canal is almost completely roofed over by an elevated expressway on tall columns. The bridge that took my street across the canal turned out to have some history, though. This is the Nihonbashi bridge, which was built in 1603 by the Shogunate in Edo times and designated as being the starting point of the five major roads in Japan. The bridge had been re-built in Renaissance style in 1911, with an ornate marker in the middle celebrating its status as the terminus of all the roads. The marker has since been moved to a small square next to the bridge, along with other associated plaques and signage. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4495" class="size-large wp-image-4495" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-485x1024.jpg" alt="" width="485" height="1024" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-485x1024.jpg 485w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-142x300.jpg 142w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-768x1623.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-727x1536.jpg 727w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-969x2048.jpg 969w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-100x211.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-150x317.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-200x423.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-300x634.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-450x951.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-600x1268.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-900x1902.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091624-scaled.jpg 1211w" sizes="(max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" /> The mile zero marker <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4496" class="size-large wp-image-4496" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-485x1024.jpg" alt="" width="485" height="1024" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-485x1024.jpg 485w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-142x300.jpg 142w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-768x1623.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-727x1536.jpg 727w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-969x2048.jpg 969w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-100x211.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-150x317.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-200x423.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-300x634.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-450x951.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-600x1268.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-900x1902.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_091748-scaled.jpg 1211w" sizes="(max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" /> One of the lamp standards along the side of the bridge, with the elevated expressway as a back drop Off to Nagaoka On Sunday it was time to head to Nagaoka to join the rest of the workshop group. I had already booked and paid for my Shinkansen (often called the Bullet Train in Western culture) fare online. During my many visits to the train station in previous days, I stopped at one of the many ticket machines to get my actual tickets. I had a bit of trouble getting my return-trip tickets at the time, and this turns out to be because the QR code for my booking was rendered at an unfortunate resolution which gave the QR-pixels a staccato spacing. Some of the QR-code pixels were 4 image pixels wide and others were 3 image pixels wide. That and the anti-aliasing made the code hard to read, but I got myself an improved QR code later to get the tickets. The booking also includes a 17-digit reservation code which I could have used instead. In the train station, there are (at least) three separate types of fare machines, all looking generally the same. These are for the Tokyo Metro, the Shinkansen trains, and all the other trains in the Japan Rail network. I of course had to be using the correct machine to get my tickets. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4509" class="wp-image-4509" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-485x1024.jpg" alt="" width="243" height="512" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-485x1024.jpg 485w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-142x300.jpg 142w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-768x1620.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-728x1536.jpg 728w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-971x2048.jpg 971w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-100x211.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-150x316.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-200x422.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-300x633.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-450x949.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-600x1266.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-900x1899.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260315_124827-scaled.jpg 1213w" sizes="(max-width: 243px) 100vw, 243px" /> Green Car seating. The train was not busy so I had the entire row to myself I had booked seating in the Green Car service, which featured wider seats with more front-to-back spacing as well, for about a 50% fare premium. I mainly did this to get a reserved seat (not available on the regular cars) but the extra space was much appreciated. It turns out that there is usually plenty of room on the trains and reserved seating is not really needed, but in trip planning I wanted to avoid any missed-train anxiety. The only train that would have been time-critical was my return trip to eventually board my flight at the airport. The other advantage of a booked seat was to ensure a window seat, but that proved less useful than I had thought. Although the Tokyo area is itself very flat, once about halfway along the trip the train spent most of its time in tunnels through the mountains. Not just a few tunnels—the train would literally leave one station, enter a tunnel, and remain in that tunnel until the next station perhaps 15 or 20km down the line! I had one moment of confusion trying to pass the turnstiles at the train station. My Shinkansen ticket was in two parts, one for the basic fare and reservation, and one for the Green Car premium. To pass the turnstile it turns out you have to insert both these tickets, either together or in quick succession. On exiting the train (and also on the Metro) you scan your pass or ticket again to ensure you’re leaving at the destination you paid for. Unexpired passes are returned but tickets no longer of use are eaten by the turnstile—no souvenir tickets! Returning to Tokyo after the workshop, the inner Shinkansen turnstile kept one of the tickets and the outer turnstile kept the second one. If you get off your train at a different stop, for whatever reason, there are fare-adjustment machines where you can pay the extra fare for the extra travel so the turnstile will let you exit. I don’t know if you can get a refund if you get off early.
Introduction I recently returned from a week-long workshop on Japanese papermaking at a shop in Japan. The workshop ran from March 15th-21st, and was held at Oguni Washi, located in Oguni, about 20 minutes’ drive south of Nagaoka, in the… Read more ›
Introduction I recently returned from a week-long workshop on Japanese papermaking at a shop in Japan. The workshop ran from March 15th-21st, and was held at Oguni Washi, located in Oguni, about 20 minutes’ drive south of Nagaoka, in the Niigata prefecture of Japan. This post is just an introduction. Please also see the other parts of this series: Part 2: Travel and sightseeing Part 3: Extracurricular activities Part 4: The actual workshop Part 5: Other Notes The workshop was organized and facilitated by Paul Denhoed, who in the distant past was also involved in the origins of the Papertrail, and hosted by Hiroaki and Chihiro Imai who run the paper mill. Paul is originally from Toronto but has been living in Japan for 25 years. The Imais only know a few words of English, so Paul, who speaks fluent Japanese, provided services as an interpreter. Paul did most of the teaching, with Hiroaki, whom we called Imai-san (more or less “Mr. Imai” but gender-neutral) doing most of the demonstrations and material preparations. Chihiro (also “Imai-san” when Hiroaki was not around) filled in the gaps when Horiaki was out on an errand or busy with other work. There were four participants from diverse backgrounds: myself, Alex Bonton from Montreal but originally from France, Michele (an Italian name, so pronounced mee-kay-lay) from Singapore but originally from northern Italy, and Clara from Florida but originally from Argentina. Alex has recently hosted a su-making workshop at Bishop’s University which I attended. <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4487" class="wp-image-4487 size-large" src="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="340" srcset="https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-300x169.jpg 300w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-768x432.jpg 768w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-100x56.jpg 100w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-150x84.jpg 150w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-200x113.jpg 200w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-450x253.jpg 450w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-600x338.jpg 600w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744-900x506.jpg 900w, https://papertrail.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/S__61726744.jpg 1706w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /> L-R: Clara, Michele, Paul, Alex, myself, and Imai-san in front of the studio (photo by Imai-san) The Imais got into paper-making over 25 years ago, sort of inheriting the craft from Chihiro’s parents. They have been running the paper mill as a commercial enterprise for many of those years. Some of the paper they make finds its way onto labels for bottles of sake (rice wine) produced in the area, and their paper was also used as wallpaper (and ceiling covering and upholstery) throughout the Nagaoka civic centre. They produce paper from kozo that they grow, when possible cooked using alkali from wood ash from their own cooking stoves, with other materials like kaki-shibu, konnyaku, and tororo-aoi roots being supplied from elsewhere. Some of the paper they produce qualifies as Oguni-gami (a controlled name referring to paper made using particular traditional materials and methods), but in the interests of commercial viability they will also use other methods, such as cooking with soda ash or beating using a naginata beater instead of by hand, producing paper which cannot be sold as “Oguni-gami”. The workshop covered papermaking starting from the kozo bark all the way to finished paper, plus some additional topics such as traditional Japanese stab bindings, decorative sheet-forming, and paper treatments with konnyaku and kaki-shibu. In this spring workshop we also covered snow bleaching; there is also sometimes a fall workshop where the participants instead get a try at harvesting and stripping the kozo stems. This post is the start of a series covering our journey through the papermaking process.