A handmade washi paper mill that has operated for more than 300 years in the mountains of Nao, Saga Prefecture, has decided to relocate to a flat field at the foot of the mountains to avoid the risk of a recurrence of the landslides that have struck the area in recent years.
The entire process from growing the raw materials to turning them into paper is completed at this place. Kaji trees, the raw material, are grown in nearby fields, and clean water, which is needed in large quantities, is supplied from a well. The outdoor workspace, which occupies about half of the total area, is equipped with a water basin for soaking the raw materials and a steaming pot. Indoors, the materials are milled, made into paper, and dried.
Because the process of washi making requires a large amount of water, as was the case with the original mill, the lower part of the building had to be constructed so that it would not be damaged by water. The building is consisted of a wooden structure on top of a 1.2-meter-high reinforced concrete foundation. The wooden columns were attached to the sides of the foundation and bolted at two points to resist horizontal forces without load-bearing walls. The upper half of the wall becomes a row of windows overlooking the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Shortly after the building was completed, the washi craftsmen set up the familiar tools they had inherited from their predecessors, and it looked as if the paper mill had been there for a long time.
The entire process from growing the raw materials to turning them into paper is completed at this place. Kaji trees, the raw material, are grown in nearby fields, and clean water, which is needed in large quantities, is supplied from a well. The outdoor workspace, which occupies about half of the total area, is equipped with a water basin for soaking the raw materials and a steaming pot. Indoors, the materials are milled, made into paper, and dried.
Because the process of washi making requires a large amount of water, as was the case with the original mill, the lower part of the building had to be constructed so that it would not be damaged by water. The building is consisted of a wooden structure on top of a 1.2-meter-high reinforced concrete foundation. The wooden columns were attached to the sides of the foundation and bolted at two points to resist horizontal forces without load-bearing walls. The upper half of the wall becomes a row of windows overlooking the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Shortly after the building was completed, the washi craftsmen set up the familiar tools they had inherited from their predecessors, and it looked as if the paper mill had been there for a long time.
佐賀県名尾の山中で300年以上に渡って営まれていた手すき和紙工房が、近年起きた土砂災害の再発リスクを避けるために、麓の平地に移転することになった。
原料の栽培から紙になるまでの工程のすべてがこの場所で完結している。原料となる梶の木も近隣の畑で栽培され、大量に必要な清らかな水は地下から汲み上げられる。全体の約半分を占める屋外作業スペースには原料を水に浸す水槽や蒸し釜があり、屋内では原材料の粉砕、紙漉き、乾燥作業などを行う。
建物は大量に使用する水に濡れても傷まないよう、鉄筋コンクリートの基礎を1.2ｍ立ち上げた。上部の木造の架構は、基礎の側面にボルトで2点留めした柱によって耐力壁なしで水平力に応えている。壁面の上半分は周囲の美しい田園を臨める連窓となった。
工房が完成して間もなく、和紙職人たちが先代から受け継ぎ使い馴れた道具を据えたとき、昔からそこに存在していたかのような風景が生まれた。
原料の栽培から紙になるまでの工程のすべてがこの場所で完結している。原料となる梶の木も近隣の畑で栽培され、大量に必要な清らかな水は地下から汲み上げられる。全体の約半分を占める屋外作業スペースには原料を水に浸す水槽や蒸し釜があり、屋内では原材料の粉砕、紙漉き、乾燥作業などを行う。
建物は大量に使用する水に濡れても傷まないよう、鉄筋コンクリートの基礎を1.2ｍ立ち上げた。上部の木造の架構は、基礎の側面にボルトで2点留めした柱によって耐力壁なしで水平力に応えている。壁面の上半分は周囲の美しい田園を臨める連窓となった。
工房が完成して間もなく、和紙職人たちが先代から受け継ぎ使い馴れた道具を据えたとき、昔からそこに存在していたかのような風景が生まれた。