"...If I only had ten more years...... I could become a really good artist....." Hokusai

How do you describe an adventure featuring ten paper conservators covering over two thousand miles, in ten days? Touring papermaking sites in Japan, cultural meccas in Kyoto and Nara, led by an indefatigable Japanese paper advocate, Hiromi Katayama, and an American conservation professor, Betty Fiske, the answer is in three simple words: Washi Tour 2004.

Back to the Future

Many Americans traveling to Japan for the first time are consumed with the search for the nostalgic ideal depicted in ukiyo-e prints and byobu paintings. This search for the past can be satisfied, but travel to Japan is more like going to the future. The Renzo Piano-designed Kansai International Airport (KIX) is the first futuristic environment encountered. A graceful Beaubourg on steroids, KIX is the gateway to Osaka, whose Dotombori area provided the nightscapes for the classic sci-fi movie Blade Runner.

Upon arrival, we took a space-age shuttle to our 54 story hotel near "Rinku-Town" on Japan's Inland Sea, (the tallest building in Western Japan). I didn't feel at all like I was in "Lost in Translation," but then elevator music did continue into the hall, playing the tune to "Lullaby." Five of us conservators arrived a day early and met Hiromi for a walking tour in Kyoto, heading first to the Kyoto National Museum. The museum is a Taisho architectural fantasy, set in grounds graced with cherry trees in explosive bloom. The museum has 126 National Treasure designated objects, and we were anxious to look at the collections, which included impressive Yayoi period (3rd c. BCE-3rd c. CE) objects like bronze bells and ceramic pots. The paintings were stunning, and a favorite was the resplendent 15th century six scroll dragon painting sporting patterns reminiscent of Kandinsky.

Feeling hungry, we followed Hiromi across the street to a noodle shop and squeezed into tiny booths for Kyoto-style soba and udon. Hiromi helped us with the choices: soba or udon, hot or cold, tofu, tempura or chicken topping. Steaming bowls arrived within moments, fragrant and divine. Hiromi explained the subtlety of the Kyoto-style broth, lighter and clearer than Tokyo style, and the soba is also fresher and less fermented and "buckwheaty" than in other regions.

Directly across the street is the Sanjusangen-do temple, the famous National Treasure temple with the 1,000 Kannon sculptures. We circumambulated the temple exterior and in the midst of the massive structure I noticed a shrine "to make babies stop crying at night." There is a labyrinth upon entering, which serves as a transition between the outside world and the sacred interior. Inside, the setting was dark, moody and powerful, and pilgrims mingled with tourists. Back outside in the glaring sunshine, we walked toward the Gion neighborhood backstreets, coming upon a group of maiko, or apprentice geishas in full kimono, hair and make-up, straight out of Utamaro. Hiromi and Betty explained that it is virtually impossible to enter a home to see the geisha or maiko without an introduction. So we instead imagined the scenes going on behind these closed doors, the shamisen performance, followed by a fan dance and a kaiseki dinner.

That first day we also visited Kawai Kanjiro's, a famous Mingei potter influenced by Bernard Leach. His house is a compound of traditional Japanese buildings and interior tatami rooms with windows that frame views of the garden, and his enormous climbing hill kiln outside, with 6 or 8 chambers. This introduction to the Mingei movement was important, as our tour in the countryside referred back to Kawai's work several times. That night, the rest of the group arrived from the East coast, jet-lagged but excited. Altogether, our group included Pam Spitzmueller from Harvard, Judy Walsh from the National Gallery, Nancy Ash from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Annette Manick from the Boston MFA, Linda Stiber Morenus from the Library of Congress, Ellissa O'Loughlin from the Walters Art Gallery, Kim Schenck from the Baltimore Museum of Art, Joanne Page from Northern California, Wendy Bennett from the Warhol Museum, and me, Susan Sayre Batton, from Los Angeles and the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Betty presented us with handmade books full of her research on Japanese art, language and culture, our detailed itinerary, and other useful information. Betty had meticulously hand-stritched each book, Japanese-style, and wrapped the volumes in squares of indigo-dyed fabric we could use as hand towels on the trip, as the Japanese do.

The Road to Shikoku

Early the next morning we found the mini-bus which would transport us for the next six days, and met our driver, ominously named "Fightah". We had a long drive to Kochi, through the concrete jungles of Osaka and Kobe and across the Inland Sea, over long bridges that pass the Naruto Straights, famed for its whirlpools depicted in Hiroshige prints. The landscape changed dramatically once we were on Shikoku, a mountainous island, verdant with blossoming cherry, plum, and quince trees, and famous for the 88 temples that still attract devout pilgrims. We arrived in Kochi and visited the Tosa Washi Museum, an excellent facility displaying the history of handmade papermaking technology using high-tech production values.

Our first visit to a National Living Treasure papermaker, Sajio Hamada, was memorable. Drying papers hang outside next to family laundry, and inside the studio Hamada's grandson formed sheets in the traditional nagashizuki method with precision. This young man was a perfect synthesis of old and new, with his contemporary spiked hairdo and large earring, making the thin-yet-strong paper sheet after sheet, and keeping track of production with an abacus-like sliding bead on a string. Sajio Hamada came to greet us, and displayed the virtues of his soaking, slimy tororo-aoi used to create the neri, or formation aid. Hamada-san was jovial, his wife served us tea, and we jockeyed for position to take photographs, a situation that was repeated throughout the trip.

Leaving Hamada's studio, we traveled up the road to the Kashiki Mill, an entirely different operation, where massive rolls of gampi paper are made in a large factory. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but will never forget the sights and sounds of the large vats, giant mechanized stampers, and huge rolls of paper coming off the machine. Wendy joked that the mill could serve as a set for an episode of "Batman," with hardly any alteration.

The first night in the country brought us to "Cour aux Dons," our ryokan-style inn set up by the Kochi Prefecture as a resort for papermaking tourists. We were lodged in tatami rooms, and dined that night in a private tatami room, tasting fresh local ingredients including an amuse of marinated fish livers, delicious and briny. Later dishes included hamachi sashimi and squid, grilled scallops, tempura shiso leaf, clear broth soup with a clam, and a whole river fish, ayu served last in an "active pose" on a stick, as though it were jumping a river current. Cour Aux Dons had one of the best baths of all the places we stayed, and several of us went straight from dinner to put on our yukata and soak in herbal hot water and orange peel baths.

Space in this newsletter won't permit as much detail about all of the other places we visited, but the Kochi area was followed by a long drive to Shimane prefecture in torrential rain, back over enormous suspension bridges north over the Inland Sea.

Sea of Japan

In Shimane prefecture, we crested a hill for a panoramic view of the Sea of Japan, and then visited Akira Kubota, who makes sekishi-hanshi, composed mainly of kozo, and known for its slightly green cast, due to the inclusion of some of the green inner bark. We were treated to an invitation to the house to examine paper samples, and heard about Kubota-san's training program for papermaking students from Bhutan.

Eishiro Abe Memorial Museum

The following day was a trip high point, visiting the picturesque hamlet containing the Eishiro Abe Memorial Museum and the contemporary papermaking facility directed by his son. Thatched roofs, cherry blossom trees in bloom, and another sunny day made us look around at the picture-perfect, almost "theme park" setting, and joked that we were in "Abe World." The Abe family home is a treasure trove of the Mingei movement, with sliding door screens painted by Munakata Shiko, and a collection of pottery by Bernard Leach, Kanjiro Kawai, and Shoji Hamada.

Kobe to Fukui

A long drive to Kobe passed by Mt. Daisen, a volcanic mountain rising 1729 meters, which we found "Fuji-esque". Spending a night in Kobe, we had an afternoon to do "cosmopolitan" activities, followed by a group dinner with the famed Kobe beef.

All I can say is: "Hon, it was like buttah."

We zoomed along en route to Fukui, stopping in Najio to visit Tanino's studio, our second National Living Treasure papermaker Tanino makes gampi maniai-shi, papers containing natural clay in locally mined colors. This is the only decorative papermaker we visited, and we will never forget Tanino-san's resplendent papers and unique home.

Kurodani Washi is a true papermaking village, which once had over 60 houses making paper along a perfectly engineered stream, and still boasts 10 houses making paper in the traditional style. Kurodani is famous for training young apprentices, one of whom made a rather noticeable impression on our group, to say the least. Perhaps it was his superb technique making Kurodani-style paper, composed of manilla hemp, and dipped to create thick sheets? The village boasts a communal store and cooking area, and is a true mix of ancient and modern. That evening ended for us in a gorgeous ryokan called Suya, in Fukui. The inn is built around a 450-year-old tea house, and we explored the complex before dinner with glee, exchanging our house slippers for wooden geta as we paraded around the interior courtyards. Dinner in a private tatami room was so good, I can still almost taste each exquisite course.

Eichizen to Mino

After a morning visit to a shrine devoted to the god of papermaking, we toured the extensive papermaking center of Eichizen. Eichizen is the earliest center of papermaking in Japan, with roots dating back as early as the 6th century. We spent most of the day touring this large village, which is like a papermaking "company town." Highlights included a demonstration of Japanese paper marbling, sumingashi, by Sadao Fukuda, and the opportunity to meet Ichibei Iwano, a National Living Treasure papermaker producing paper famous for printmaking--hosho.

We traveled to Mino and stayed at the last ryokan-style inn of the trip, the Ryokufu-so, next to a picturesque river and adjacent to a town full of udatsu-style homes. The next day we had the privilege of visiting the studio of Satoshi and Kiyoko Hasagawa, who make paper in the home of the late Mr. Furuta, (a teacher of Hiromi's when she was an art student). Hasegawa-san's studio is immaculate and organized, his demonstration was transcendent, and he seemed almost beatific in the trance of sheet forming. Mino-gami is extremely fine paper, and comes from a long tradition dating back to the 8th century.

Kyoto bound

Sad to leave the countryside, we drove through a mountain pass en route to Kyoto. Passing the Yoro Waterfall in Mino Province, someone on the bus exclaimed "Holy Hokusai!" causing general laughter. Arriving in Kyoto, we were back in the modern, bustling city  with three packed days ahead to visit conservation studios in Nara and Kyoto, the Nijo castle, the Karacho stencil printing studio, Nishimura brush maker, fine restaurants, temple gardens, the Toji flea market, and so much more.

Words cannot express our gratitude for Hiromi's knowledge, patience, and guidance. Translating and making arrangements for 11 other people for over 10 days is challenging, yet she remained calm, efficient, and enthusiastic. (Who can forget her signature exclamation: "Wwwwowwww!!!") Hiromi is a unique individual, able to keep one foot in the very traditional world of washi, and the other in the cosmopolitan world of Los Angeles arts and culture. Domo arrigato, Washi Tour 2004.