COMPANIES

KASHIWAYA Co., Ltd.

A 200-year History Imbued with Craftsmanship and Spirit Weaving the Future of a Low-carbon Society through Japanese Paper Culture

In business for eight generations since our founding in 1824, KASHIWAYA Co., Ltd. has focused on sales of washi traditional Japanese paper as a decorative interior material for living spaces and architecture while cherishing Japan's ancient paper culture.
We believe that washi’s functionality and its connection to nature hold the key to sustaining modern prosperity and carrying it forward into the future. We are also actively striving to combine tradition with new technology and enhance our contribution to the environment.

Offering high added value through traditional and innovative craftsmanship Kashiwaya has a network of exceptionally skilled mounting artists who continue refining their skills while conveying washi culture. Our carefully selected washi is finished by master craftsmen into stunningly beautiful and superb mounting.
To ensure customer satisfaction, we will maintain unwavering trust with our craftsmen and continuously provide the highest quality products.

Our role as washi experts Since the Edo period, Kashiwaya has valued our relationships with papermakers throughout Japan, taking on the role of a wholesaler. This allows us to effectively capture customer needs and timely offer proposals for high-quality products at competitive prices.
At our karakami paper showroom, customers can view washi paper for fusuma sliding doors and a variety of decorative washi paper reflecting cultural diversity in regions. We also create original product such as floor lamps that maximize washi's characteristic, enabling light to gently diffuse into the surrounding space.

Advanced capability to work with even national assets Just as we have with papermakers, Kashiwaya has strengthened partnerships with a variety of interior decoration contractors, specialists for fusuma sliding doors, shoji paper screens, wallpaper, and other materials. In collaboration, we offer a comprehensive one-stop service that includes proposals, installation, delivery, and after-sales support, extending beyond typical wholesale operations. We also undertake specialized and challenging projects such as spatial design for shrines and temples as well as restoration of traditional stage sets and important cultural properties including Buddhist paintings.
Maintaining pride in our involvement with Japanese culture for many years, we aim to enrich people's lives in any way possible as a go-to place for all things related to Japanese-style spaces.

Considering SDGs from the perspective of housing Washi has been the principal interior material in traditional Japanese houses. It is timeless and can be revived again and again, even as its texture beautifully changes over time.
We consider such Japanese houses sustain the foundation of industry and urban development, and directly contribute to SDG Goal 11, "Sustainable Cities and Communities." Utilizing washi, a recyclable resource, enables waste reductions and supports the creation of a low-carbon society.
Moreover, the use of natural materials, including those produced and consumed locally, can revitalize local economies and align with SDG Goal 8, "Decent Work and Economic Growth," and Goal 9, "Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure." Moving forward, Kashiwaya continues to promote the use of washi and advance our efforts toward a circular economy.

Production Examples

Original gold dust wallpaper production and installation

This is an example of a wall surface design created from the client's child's electrocardiogram and expressed in gold dust.
Lampshade 01

A Kyoto bamboo craftsman wove bamboo strips into a sphere, then covered the lampshade with handmade Japanese paper to make a custom creation.
Restoration of sliding doors of a wooden house, a tourist facility in Aichi Prefecture

We restored the fusuma sliding doors of a wooden house that had been moved to a tourist facility. Echizen artisans restored the doors using the same kind of paper as would have been used when the house was originally built: Unka paper restored with fibers of kouzo and mitsumata, and momi paper restored by applying gofun, a shell powder, to the paper and rubbing it by hand to produce a wrinkled texture.

Company Profile

Company Name	KASHIWAYA Co., Ltd.
Founded	1824
Capital	10 million yen
Head Office	4-6, Tachibana 1-chome, Naka-ku, Nagoya, 460-0016 Japan
Representative	Ryosuke Ozeki, President and CEO
Number of Employees	4
Business Activities	【Products】・Materials for fusuma sliding door: Sliding door paper, Sliding door base, Sliding door frames, Pulls, and Handles ・Mounting materials ・Patterned washi paper ・Other washi paper ・Interior materials: Wallpapers, Floor coverings, Curtains, Carpets, etc. ・Secondary materials for indoor finishing ・Restoration work for temples and shrines ・General contracting work including interior decoration for houses

Efforts to develop new environmentally friendly products

New use for washi scraps: Development of an SDG-inspired washi fire starter

【Product Features】

We have repurposed washi scraps generated during restoration of kakejiku hanging scrolls—materials that would otherwise be discarded or incinerated—into fire starters for camping and other outdoor activities. We use a technique called “mizukiri” to fluff up the fibers to highlight the characteristic tangle of fibers, encouraging a renewed recognition of washi‘s unique features.

We envisioned a niche group of enthusiasts who would find this primitive fire starter to be “cool.” This group tends to be more passionate about tools and materials that have a historical background and carry some sort of message rather than simple fire-starting tools like lighters, which makes this product more appealing to them. By leveraging digital media, including social media, in our marketing, we create connections between the historical narrative of kakejiku and the younger generation. There was also an intention to “weave” the idea of Japanese culture into the future.

Fire is the original form of illumination, and control of fire is the initial step in civilization’s development. This product incorporates the message of illuminating the future of washi, conveying Kashiwaya’s resolve to contribute to revitalizing of Japanese culture. We think that by allowing users to identify with the story of this special fire starter, we will be able to provide even further added value.

【Points leading to green innovation】

Low energy consumption during the manufacturing process is a feature of handmade washi, and the scraps are utilized as much as possible to avoid waste. However, even though this is an eco-material, washi cannot be burned without generating CO2.

Kashiwaya focuses not on waste incineration, but on the human action of “lighting” paper. We believe that considering what happens to paper once it’s no longer useful encourages us to foster a personal connection to the environment, which leads to the creation of new value. We hope this product will help promote the development of a sustainable society.

Interview

Background on Participation in this Project

Consuming little energy in the manufacturing process, handmade washi is a material well suited to a low-carbon society. However, given the aging of farmers who grow the mulberry trees—the primary raw material—as well as mounting artists and others in the industry, there are growing concerns about the future of the material and its applications. At Kashiwaya, we recognized the need of creating various opportunities to communicate washi‘s appeal to the younger generation and encourage them to incorporate it into their lives, thereby promoting its revitalization. With this in mind, we participated in this project to explore new ways to develop products.

Findings and impressions after participating

Through this project, we worked on new initiatives designed for the circular economy, which reminded us of the importance and significance of our own business. In the project, we began by establishing a stable supply line of reused materials, leveraging our network of craftsmen who specialize in processing washi, including Kashiwaya’s mounting artists. By developing fire starters that reuse washi scraps from shoji paper screens and fusuma sliding doors and targeting at the niche markets with strong personal preferences, we were able to create brand appeal to a specialized customer group. Additionally, we focused our PR efforts on social media and other various digital platforms, aiming to create a point of contact with the younger generation.

Future proposals from our company

Kashiwaya has always worked hard to connect everyone from the farmers manufacturing the washi material to the craftsmen who process it and the home builders who use it. All were in our constant effort to provide customers with solutions to challenging issues they face, however, demand for washi paper is steadily declining. Given this situation, we will continue to strive not only as a wholesaler, but by viewing the industry as a whole. Our goal is to act as a driving force in creating a system that supports local washi producers, mounting artists, and other craftsmen in sustaining their businesses while fostering future successors. Washi is a material with minimal environmental impacts for the consumer. We will effectively promote this fact and stimulate demand by developing tools suited for lifestyles in a low-carbon society while handing down this element of Japanese culture to the next generation.

A 200-year History Imbued with Craftsmanship and Spirit Weaving the Future of a Low-carbon Society through Japanese Paper Culture
In business for eight generations since our founding in 1824, Kashiwaya Co., Ltd. has focused on sales of washi traditional Japanese paper as a decorative interior material for living spaces and architecture while cherishing Japan's ancient paper culture.
We believe that washi’s functionality and its connection to nature hold the key to sustaining modern prosperity and carrying it forward into the future. We are also actively striving to combine tradition with new technology and enhance our contribution to the environment.