Combing hemp palm bark, Kishū Tawashi

The hemp palm bark is first removed to extract the layer called bachi. The fibres differ depending on the section of the bark, and only fibres from a particular section of the bark are suitable for making tawashi. The bark is put through a machine that turns it into fibres. Because hemp palm fibre is water resistant and long lasting, it is used to make products such as ropes used on Japanese-style ships.