Japanese Green Tea Washi Canisters Handmade In Kyoto

Unfortunately, in Japan the production of washi paper has decreased rapidly since the coming of western machine made paper. However, the beauty of traditionally made washi has been increasingly recognized as an important cultural asset and has been given official encouragement and protection.
Our canisters are wrapped in traditional Japanese handmade washi paper. They are made by a technique called katazome-shi, otherwise known as wazome. Katazome-shi was a technique developed in Kyoto during the 20th century. Katazome-shi literally translates into English as stencil-dyed.
To make wazome paper you first have to prepare the stencil design. Then, a base paper known as kozo paper which is made from the fibers of the mulberry tree is prepared. The stencil, a paste, and dyes are then used to create the wonderful patterns. It is treated and then dried out.