During the Heian Era, ladies in the Imperial court wrote poems on the layers of paper in different colors and attached a seasonal flower to it. Beautiful washi paper then began to be produced all over the country, and by the Edo Era, beginning in 1603, paper was popularly used in various aspects of life.

The technology of paper making was initially imported from China through the Korean Peninsula. Paper was invented originally for the purpose of writing, but Japan added its own cultural significance and developed it into one of their beautiful cultural assets.

The old-fashioned hand-made washi paper is made piece by piece with plant fibers dispersed on the water and then strained with a draining board. Fibers entwined in a complex fashion makes the paper tough but flexible. It even feels warm to the touch.

E-mail is convenient, but a warm hand-written letter on hand-made washi paper will far more easily convey your feelings to the recipient.