Mino washi museum & Akari Art Gallery

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Toothpicker

One of places I wanted to visit in Mino was the Mino washi museum. Yet the museum is located about half an hour’s drive from the town centre, and there are no buses that could get me there. After enquiring at the tourist office (inside a washi paper stationery shop), the lady there told me that she could book a ‘shared taxi’ for me to pick me up and bring me back at the requested times. After lunch, I waited outside of the bank and a mini van showed up. To my surprise, this was the ‘shared taxi’ that was booked for me. This is a community shared taxi service called Noriai-Kun, and it reminded me of the Songthaews/ Red trucks in Thailand, but of course the Japanese version is more comfortable and safer. After the driver dropped off a few passengers, he drove along the river and I was able to enjoy the scenery outside of the window. When I arrived, I asked the driver about the cost, and I thought he indicated 1000 yen, but it turned out to be merely 100 yen!

Mino washi museum

The Mino washi museum is a modern building with several exhibition halls, paper-making workshop space, a shop and a cafe. Aside from learning about the history and the making of washi paper, visitors can also watch the demonstrations of paper-making and then try it out at the workshops. Due to limited time, I did not do the workshop, but I enjoyed seeing a temporary washi paper art exhibition that showcased works by local artists.

Mino washi paper products sold at the shop

In the town centre, a visit to the Mino Washi Akari Art Gallery is a must. From the outside of the building (a former Mino City Industrial Association Hall built in 1941) and even after I entered the building, I had no idea of what I was about to encounter. Yet as soon as I walked into the dark exhibition area upstairs, I was astonished by all the stunning washi paper lanterns on display.

Every year October, Mino City hosts an Akari Festival where washi paper lanterns are lit and displayed along the main Udatsu street at night, turning the town into a lantern wonderland. At the gallery, visitors can admire all the exquisite and delicate lanterns created by professional artists, students, and the prize winners of the lantern competition held annually at the festival.

I was completely blown away by what I saw. And I think the exhibition showcases not only the craftsmanship, creativity, dedication, but also great respect for the traditions by all the artisans.

2nd row right: winning work of 2010; Bottom two rows: Winning work of 2017

Echizen Washi Village

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Toothpicker

The JR Johana Line in Toyama and the poster for the Belles montagnes et mer sightseeing train

When foreign visitors think of Japanese railway, the first thing they think of is likely to be the sleek Bullet train/ Shinkansen. As much as I appreciate them, I have a particular soft spot for the slower retro 2-carriage local trains that go through small village stations. These trains and stations are old-school and delightful, and often carrying very few passengers. In Toyama prefecture, I took the JR Johana line which originally started in 1897 by the Chūetsu Railway, but now it is run by JR West. Although the journey was not long, it was lovely nonetheless, and it made me want to take more local train journeys around Japan in the future.

Top two rows: Shinkansen & ekiben for the journey; Bottom row: poster warning passengers not to text while walking at the train stations (we need them in every country!)

Another thing I love about rail travel in Japan is the amazing ekiben (station box lunch) that are sold at the train stations. Usually these lunch boxes consist of local produce and specialties that are unique to that region, and so every station would offer something different.

Even more surprising was when I encountered a contemporary craft gallery inside a train station… during my transit at the Takaoka station, I came across Monono-Fu Gallery, where they exhibit and sell exquisite crafts that are made locally. I even noticed the Honeycomb tin basket from our shop; it was good to be able to locate its origin in person. Aside from metal works, the region also produces wood products, washi paper goods and ceramics etc – it is a fantastic idea to promote the local crafts and perhaps more stations should follow suit.

Locally-made crafts are promoted and sold at the Monono-Fu Gallery inside the Takaoka train station

Although Mino is famous for its washi paper (due to its status as the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), it is Echizen in the Fukui Prefecture that has the highest production of washi paper in Japan. The history of washi paper-making in this region dates back to 1500 years ago, and currently there are 70 washi industries in Echizen, mostly family-run businesses, employing around 500 people in the Imadate area called Goka, which includes five villages of the town, Oizu, Iwamoto, Shinzaike, Sadatomo and Otaki. These villages have been producing Japanese paper since 6th century and constitute “Echizen Washi no Sato“. Every spring, there is a Kami festival in Washi-no-Sato that celebrates the paper goddess, Kawa-Kami Gozen and the two local gods at the Okamoto Otaki Shrine.

After learning about the Echizen washi village in Takefu (a small town which is part of the Echizen City), I went online to find out more and on how to reach it. However, I learnt that getting there is no easy task without a car, and I could not find any accommodation nearby either. Eventually I contacted Katz, a local photographer whose contact is on the official website and he kindly assisted me with the accommodation and travel itinerary.

A miserable day in Takefu

Aside from washi paper, Takefu is also known for its 700-year old knife-making industry and its knife village. I was rather unlucky when I arrived at Takefu, because the scheduled bus didn’t show up at the train station (the third time during my trip), and I had to contact Katz for assistance. Then it was raining cats and dogs by the time I reached the washi village and it didn’t stop until the next morning.

Unlike most of the cities/ towns I visited previously, I saw no foreign tourists, shops, cafes, restaurants nor pedestrians as I was walked towards the washi village. All I saw were residential houses, warehouses, factories and small agricultural fields – it felt very suburban. This town is unlike any towns that I have visited before, and it was quite a shock for me as I was expecting to see a charming town like Arimatsu or Mino. Yet this is the other side of Japan, a side that perhaps not many tourists get to see.

Paper & Culture Museum

There are several buildings in the Washi Village, and one of them is the Paper & Culture Museum. The museum displays ancient documents showing the history and origins of Echizen Japanese paper, but there is little English explanation (probably because there are few foreign visitors here). I think this museum is less interesting than the other two venues in the village, and I didn’t linger for too long. However, there is a washi paper library at the back that displays a variety of washi paper samples, which is worth seeing.

Washi paper-making workshop at the Papyrus House

At the Papyrus House, there is a paper souvenir shop and an area where visitors can try out some washi paper-making which lasts about 20 minutes. I decided to have a go at it and did manage to make a few pieces to bring home.

A washi paper and stationery shop in the washi village

Out of three venues, my favourite was the Udatsu Paper & Craft Museum. Unlike the two other new buildings, this museum is situated inside a former paper maker’s house from the Edo period (1748) , which was later dismantled and reconstructed on this site.

The most fascinating part of the museum is that visitors can watch the process of washi paper making by paper artisans using traditional tools. Unfortunately, I had missed the last session of the Japanese traditional papermaking workshop, but being the only visitor there, I was able to watch the artisan closely while she was working.

Udatsu Paper & Craft Museum

There is also an exhibition hall upstairs that showcase washi paper works from the region. I had a relaxing time here, and was especially grateful to the kind lady who gave me an umbrella to take away as it was chucking it down outside.

Udatsu Paper & Craft Museum

After the museums closed, I had to wait around for the heavy rain to ease slightly before walking back to the minshuku, which was fairly basic with few amenities ( not even wifi). I didn’t see other guests and I thought the place was not very clean, but since I was only there for one night, I just turned a blind eye to it. When I tried to locate restaurants nearby for dinner with google map, there were few and far between, hence I decided to wander around to see what I could find.

Eventually I found a soba restaurant that had a ‘closed’ sign hanging outside, even though it was supposed to be opened until 9pm. I walked up to the door to try my luck, and it turned out that the restaurant was indeed opened! The soba restaurant is run by an elderly couple, and aside from a young male customer, there was no one else around. I sat down and picked one a set meal from the Japanese menu, which I have to say was one of the best meals I have had throughout the trip. It was so simple, and yet so delicious. I thought the tempura was even better than the ones I had at the expensive Tenichi Ginza Honten with my friend in Tokyo a few years back. The homemade soba noodles tasted great, too. I thought it was ironic that I randomly walked into an almost empty restaurant in the suburbs and had a surprisingly satisfying meal. Perhaps the food tasted better because I was tired, cold and wet; or because i had no expectations. Anyway, that meal did make me feel happy at the end of a rather miserable day.

A heartwarming dinner was what I needed on a cold and rainy night

The next morning, I went to say goodbye to Katz, and he said he was hoping to take me to some washi paper studios in Echizen if I had spent more time there. I was grateful for his generosity but at the same time felt quite disappointed with my stay (I think the heavy rain didn’t help either). I am sure that one day was not enough, and there must be many interesting washi paper studios in the area that are worth visiting. Since this area is not a touristy region, it probably requires more research and planning beforehand, so perhaps it does deserve a second visit in the future.

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Ainokura & Gokayama washi

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Toothpicker

Unlike Shirakawa-go in the Gifu prefecture, the remote Gokayama region in the Toyama prefecture is exempt from big bus tourism and seems to attrach more independent travelers. Even though the two areas are both declared as UNESCO world heritage sites, they are located in two different prefectures, and I have a feeling that the Gifu tourist association has been promoting Shirakawa-go more heavily than Toyama. Even the buses to the Ainokura village are less frequent, and I was the only person who got off the bus at the stop, which was a huge contrast from the bus full of tourists all getting off at Ogimachi earlier in the morning.

After being dropped off by the road side up on a mountain, I was slightly hesitant because aside from mountains, there was no sight of the village. I followed a small path and after about 15 mins’ walk, I finally saw the village down in the valley. Like Ogimachi, it snowed quite heavily a few days before, and so the grounds of the village was covered in snow.

Perhaps it is unfair to compare Ainokura with Ogimachi, because the two villages are quite different. However, I was relieved not to see coaches of tour groups in the rather sleepy Ainokura, which to me felt more authentic already. This quaint village is much smaller in size, and there are are not as many tourist attractions. There are 24 Gassho-style houses, including residences, temples, dojo studios, and huts. Most of them were built between the end of the Edo Era and the beginning of the Meiji Era, and many of the residences are unoccupied now.

One of the main attractions here is the wonderful Ainokukura Folklore Museum (with 2 buildings), where visitors can learn about the local culture, festivals, folk art and music. There are also some traditional musical instruments on display like the Binzasara, which is made of many pieces of wooden plates strung together with a cotton cord. There are handles at both ends, and the stack of wooden plates are played by moving them like a wave (which I got to try out later in the evening).

A walk up to the attic enables visitors to appreciate the architecture and structures of the Gassho-style farmhouses. The exhibits also reveal the locals’ frugal lifestyles, yet they are compensated by the village’s strong community spirit, and this collective and cooperative way of living is called yui.

Ainokura Folk Museum

Gokayama is also famous for washi paper, which was thought to have arrived from Kyoto at the end of the Heian Period when survivors of the Taira Clan escaped to this region after their defeat by the Minamoto Clan.

There is a Washi Workshop Hall and shop in the village, where a washi paper artisan works and sells his work and other local washi paper products. The artisan also conducts short paper-making workshops daily; however, when I arrived, he was busy teaching two other travelers (who turned out to be staying at the same minshuku as me), so I missed the opportunity to do the workshop with him. Nonetheless, I did buy some beautiful and one-of-a-kind washi paper products made by him, and it felt good to meet the face of the artisan behind the products.

Ainokura washi workshop hall

There are a few minshuku in the village, and I chose Minshuku Yomoshirou, which is an Gassho-style houses run by a middle-aged couple. The farmhouse is 250 years old with thatched roof, and in the middle of the house, there is a traditional irori (fireplace) where grilled food is prepared.

On the wall, there are also photos of the variety of local vegetables and herbs, as well as how the community worked together to construct or fix the thatched roofs.

Minshuku Yomoshirou

Dinner was served in the living/dining area with three other guests, including a Canadian artist, an Amercian/Korean photographer (whom I had already spoken to earlier at the washi paper hall) and a young woman from Russia. We were served grilled local fish with vegetables and herbs that are picked locally – all of which were delicious.

During and after dinner, our host also performed some folk songs with local musical instruments including the Binzasara, and he made us all try it out. It was a sociable and fun evening.

We were told not to wander around outside in the evenings and early in the mornings, which we thought was rather strange – not sure if it is for safety reasons or something more sinister!

I enjoyed my stay at this minshuku, despite the thin paper partitions (you could hear every sound from the guests next door), shared toilets and bathroom (something you have to get used to when staying in traditional ryokans and minshukus in Japan). I felt that it offered a glimpse into the lives and cultures of the people living in the region, which I believe are slowly changing… I only wish that this village will retain its charm and not become a mass tourist attraction in the future.

The bus hut and snowy scenery of the region

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Mino – the ancient washi paper town

Posted on July 18, 2018 by Toothpicker

The preserved townscape of Minoshi

I think many people who are interested in Japanese paper would have heard of Mino washi paper, especially after it was was designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2014. The origin of this paper dates back to the Nara period (710 ~ 784 CE), and is considered to be the oldest paper in Japan. Located by the Nagara River, Mino is lined with wooden buildings built from the Edo to Meiji period.

I have wanted to visit Mino (the train/bus station is called Minoshi) for years, but never quite made it somehow. On this trip, I decided to include one night in my itinerary; the bus journey was quite straightforward from Nagoya, and it took about two hours. However, I would recommend using the Nagaragawa Railway (which I took when leaving the town) if you get the chance. Aside from the cute trains, there are also some scenic routes that you can enjoy if you want to see more of the Gifu region.

Nagaragawa Railway train and Minoshi train station

I would say that Arimatsu and Mino are two of my favourite towns during my entire trip. I love the fact that both towns have preserved their traditional craftsmanship and townscape. There is rich history, beautiful merchant houses, and best of all, they are not swamped with tourists. When you walk around the two towns, you feel as if you have stepped back in time, and it is hard not to be captivated by the ambience and historical architectural details around you. The two main streets in Mino were developed by the feudal lord Nagachiku Kanamori during the Edo Period, and were designated as an “area preserving traditional architecture” in 1999.

The preserved townscape of Minoshi is full of washi paper merchant houses, shops, sake breweries and temples

One unique feature of Mino is its ‘udatsu’ streets. An udatsu was originally a firewall built at both ends of a roof, and its purpose was to prevent fires from spreading. However, during the Edo period, the designs of the udatsu became wealthy washi merchants’ status symbols because of the high costs to install them, and you can still admire them on the rooftops of many buildings in Mino.

One of the most important buildings in Mino is the Former Imai Residence and Mino Archives built in the mid-Edo period (the end of the 18th century). The gable tiles without decorations are the oldest form of udatsu; they are layered twice on the left and the right, while other houses have only one single layer.

Former Imai Residence and Mino Archives

The house was not only a residence, but it also had a reception area where the family used to conduct their wholesale paper business. One interesting feature of the house is a skylight which extends about 3 metres up from the ceiling; it was built during renovations in the Meiji Period.

In the garden, there is a suikinkutsu – a Japanese garden ornament and music device buried underground which creates sound similar to koto/Japanese zither when you pour water over it.

Aside from the beautiful traditional architecture, the shops and restaurants here all make efforts to decorate their shop fronts to attract customers in.

Not surprisingly, when you travel to smaller towns and less touristy places, prices tend to drop considerably. This was what I noticed when I traveled around Japan for weeks. I had lunch at a local soba/udon restaurant called Sansui Honten (1902-2 Motozumi-cho) recommended by the owners of my guesthouse; not only the food was tasty with huge portions, it was also a bargain.

Lunch at Sansui Honten

And for dinner, I decided to go to an Italian wine bar/restaurant nearby called Barest, and was quite pleasantly surprised by the food quality and cooking.

Barest

Yet my favourite cafe/shop in Minoshi has to be The Happy Stand. Opened in the summer of 2017 by a young friendly couple, the cafe is housed inside a building over 150-year-old. The house has been beautifully restored and converted into a shop and cafe with a focus on ocha and matcha tea. I was recommended the Organic Houjicha Latte and it was delicious. The shop area also sells a range of contemporary ceramic ware called Utsuwa that are made locally in Gifu. I particularly loved the extra-tall washi paper lantern hanging in the middle of the shop!

The cute young couple behind The Happy Stand cafe/shop

To be continued…

Mino washi from Gifu exhibition

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Toothpicker

Mino washi paper exhibition at The Proud Archivist

I have been wanting to visit Mino in Gifu Prefecture in Central Japan for a while. My motive is to do with none other than paper, as Mino is renowned for traditional Japanese paper making.

The origin of Mino washi can be traced back to the Nara period in 8th century; and in 2014, these paper making techniques were added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Unsurprisingly, I was quite thrilled when I found out about the ‘Mino Washi from Gifu’ exhibition at The Proud Archivist. The exhibition showcased some of the finest contemporary uses of Mino washi paper, whilst exploring the tradition and craft of this classic Japanese material.

Paper lanterns were the prime focus at this small but well-curated exhibition. The centre of the room was filled with an array of delicate and beautiful washi lanterns in various shapes and sizes, including works by well-known Japanese designers Isamu Noguchi and Shigeru Uchida.

Aside from lanterns, the exhibition also displayed traditional paper making tools, mulberry bark, miniature paper sculptures of the washi making processes, and a film footage on the topic. Visitors could also purchase paper products sold by Wagumi, a London-based shop that specialises in Japanese design products.

I had the opportunity to speak to Yoko from Wagumi, who kindly provided me more information on Mino and other paper-making cities in Japan. Our chat has given more incentive to visit the city when I next travel to Japan, and hopefully, it will be within the next two years!

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