Mino washi

Mino washi (美濃和紙, Mino paper^?) is a type of Japanese paper created in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. In 1985, it was designated a Traditional Craft by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry).

The origin of Mino washi can be traced to the Nara period in eighth century Japan, when the high quality paper was first made in Mino Province. Some of the original paper is still preserved in Shōsōin in the city of Nara in Nara Prefecture. During the Heian period, government officials were dispatched to the area when paper standards, such as size and color, were first established.

During the first part of the Kamakura period, Mino washi was relatively unused and unknown; however, because of activities during the Nanboku-chō period and the Ōnin War, the low-cost Mino washi came into more widespread use. Also, the Toki clan, who served as the shugo of Mino Province at the time, promoted industries and paper production as a way of strengthening the area and their power. Many members of the monk and kuge classes in Japan would visit the area and use the paper, bringing it back to their homelands, increasing the distribution of the paper. Eventually, merchants began to sell the paper throughout Japan, too.

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