HORIKI ERIKO

In a workshop steeped in snow, craftspeople are seen sinking their hands up to their elbows in water so cold it hurts to touch, exhaling white breath as they silently prepare the materials to make washi.
When I first visited the Echizen workshop, I was astounded to see the dignified handiwork that has been handed down for 1300 years.

Imbued with a spirituality that “white paper (kami) connects us with the gods (kami),” washi has had a profound influence on Japanese people’s aesthetics and their distinctive customs since ancient times. It is an indispensable part of people’s daily lives as well as Shinto rituals and festivals.
However, machine-made washi and the use of modern materials have developed in a way that has sent the culture of handmade washi into decline.

To preserve the techniques of these wonderful artisans and the spirituality behind Japanese manufacturing for the future, it is essential that we take a new perspective and advance washi by taking on new endeavors each day.
We, along with the Echizen washi artisans, pursue our activities with two directions: connecting tradition to the future, and cultivating our innovations as traditions of the future through our new techniques.

We are also taking on the challenge of expression that transcends the traditional washi realm by giving it functions so that it will not burn, stain, tear, or fade, and making it even more fine and precise. We hope to go beyond the realms of culture, art, design, and craft, and further expand washi's unlimited potential.

Only when we try the impossible in the search for techniques and expressive methods that break free from stereotypes, we can connect tradition with the future.
We are striving to create washi that meets the demands of the era while transcending time and resonating in the heart.