niponica is a web magazine that introduces modern Japan to people all over the world.
Cover photo: The kimono-clad woman’s parasol has a canopy made of washi paper. (Photo: amanaimages Inc.)
Issue
Special Feature
Blending Technology with Tradition:
Amazing Paper in Japan
Paper can be a lot more than just a medium for communicating and recording information. The Japanese have long been adept at using paper for a wide variety of purposes. That flair is very much alive today, demonstrating new possibilities for paper.
Beautiful cut paper decorations shaped like sea bream (a fish associated with good luck), and folding fans. Shrines in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu have long passed on the custom of displaying them in the household shrine at New Year. (Photo: Oya Takao)
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