Kyō Karakami

Karakami (literally “Chinese paper”) is a Japanese term used for a traditional brand of decorative paper, which is usually colored and printed with sophisticated designs. Karakami got its start in Kyoto and is still where its production is centered. The tradition of paper decoration originally came from China. It took root in Japan when artisanal guilds were established in the ancient province of Yamashiro, now the southern part of Kyoto prefecture. This kind of decorative paper was first used in Japan during the Heian period (794–1185), when aristocrats used it for brushing classical waka poetry. During this time, artisans adept in techniques such as paper-dyeing, gold and silver leaf patterning, pigment application, woodcut printing and more, and more, supplied lavish and elegant paper (ryōshi) to the imperial court during the Heian dynasty.

Karakamiya continued over the centuries, but it could have been decimated by major fires that broke out during the Hamaguri Gomon incident of 1864. Luckily, the head of Karakamiya managed to preserve the business’s essential woodblocks by filling washtubs with water and placing the blocks in a sealed earthen storehouse. Karachō is the only paper maker left in Japan to have survived since the Edo period. The shop retains 650 precious examples of woodblock prints preserved for over 300 years. 

While shōji papered windows and doors can be used to adjust the amount of light let into a space, fusuma sliding doors essentially function as room partitions. Still, fusuma are a key element in interior decorating and room arrangement: fusuma patterns tend to have a big part in determining the atmosphere and even the purpose of the room. A myriad of patterns were produced to suit the needs and tastes of court nobles, samurai, tea ceremony practitioners, and more, as well as to suit particular building styles.

 

The tenth-generation Karakamiya master oversaw the restoration of the Katsura Imperial Villa in 1950 and also in 1959. Further, in 1979, the eleventh-generation Karakamiya master was also involved in additional repairs of the structure. During this period, he managed to replicate all the original karakami patterns—created when the building was first built and rediscovered during the restoration process—through a long process of trial and error, including producing the foundation pattern paper. The number of patterns restored during this period totaled approximately 4,000. Later, these were carefully preserved by the twelfth-generation Karakamiya master for future repairs to the Katsura Imperial Villa.  

Woodblocks are very often made from the wood of the magnolia tree. This wood is soft and easy to sculpt, and the surface remains smooth even with many years of use. For this reason, though the woodblocks preserved at Karachō have been used for three centuries, they show virtually no signs of wear. The grain of the cherry tree, which was often used to make woodblock prints, grows at different speeds depending on the season, which can lead to discrepancies in degree of hardness causing concave and convex areas. Because karakami features repetitive patterns, this type of wood is unsuitable for the craft.

In former times, traditional Japanese houses allowed people to adjust the amount of light coming into each room with both shōji and fusuma screens. At night they relied on candlelight or paper lanterns. Amidst this lifestyle where people read and wrote in dark environments, it is easy to imagine the great role that silver and gold played in this scenario. Karakami mica decorations undoubtedly created intriguing shadows in the play of candlelight.

While Karachō is a purveyor of tradition, this establishment never stops taking up new challenges in the field of expression. Examples include furoshiki wrapping cloths featuring karakami Rinpa patterns in a collaborative project with a furoshiki shop, and the development of a tea ceremony tapestry pouch. In 2015, Karachō was also invited to a ramen bowl exhibition together with famous designers for the unveiling of new bowl designs that the company was involved in. Though an art form can be perpetuated simply by conveying the traditional methods from one generation to the next, Karachō seeks to take things one step further and actually forge new tradition.