Amid a declining demand for washi paper products, a Japanese retailer is taking on the role of "paper sommelier" to help introduce the charm of the traditional craft to consumers in Japan and overseas.
Yoshinao Sugihara, the 10th-generation successor of a traditional paper wholesaler in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture — one of the country's most prominent washi-producing areas — has been showcasing new ways to use washi as home interiors in a gallery he opened in January next to his shop.
Among eye-catching displays at Sugihara's renovated traditional warehouse is a paper tapestry designed with a watermark, and a huge sheet of decorative paper stretching more than 10 meters.