Wataru Hatano, a washi paper maker, is currently in his 40s. He is attracting attention as a multi-talented artist of Kurotani Washi, which has an 800-year history and is said to be the most durable and beautiful paper. Hatano, a young Kurotani washi craftsman who is said to be a hidden gem of Japanese paper, grows his own paper mulberry trees, makes the washi paper, and processes it with oil to create practical items such as boxes and business card holders. Processed to. He also handles interior decoration and construction, and is challenging new expressions using washi, such as using it for interior decoration as seen in Kyoto Kochi. Hatano's works are appreciated not only in Japan but also around the world. Hatano writes about how he became a washi artist, his thoughts on washi, and the charm of washi.

Written by Wataru Hatano

The sun sets over the sea.
You can spend a lot of time just looking at it without having to do anything.
Even though I'm not doing anything, I have a rich time.
The color of the sun changes every day
Cloud shapes that change every day
The smell of the wind that changes every day
air quality

When I was in high school, I often rode my bicycle to the beach near my home to watch the sunset. As a 17-year-old, I felt like I was being forced to make a life decision, and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do. However, I realized that my feelings were getting closer and closer to the shore where the waves crashed every day. One day, as I was leisurely enjoying the sunset on the beach, a father and a little girl sat a little closer to me. The little girl said to her father, ``You're beautiful,'' and the father said to her daughter, ``Yes, you are.'' Time passed without a word being said. The parents and their children staring at the sunset were so beautiful and kind. At that time, the sky was truly orange, and the orange color even warmed my heart. The feeling of being soaked in color. The feeling that people exude.

I decided to express something beautiful that never changes.
I went to Tokyo to enter an art university. In Tokyo, I was overwhelmed by the abundance of things, but I found myself feeling unsatisfied. I didn't understand why he was feeling unsatisfied, but he resonated with the subculture and felt comfortable with the gritty noise. As he was lost in the noise, he found moments of beauty and found solace in them. He tried to immerse himself in the noise in order to seek relief, but I felt that the meaningless inconsistency was giving rise to various cultures, and I found myself wondering if something was wrong.

So I started climbing mountains. He also bought a motorcycle and went touring. He traveled all over the country and was surprised at how people lived in so many different places. There was life in every mountain and on the flatlands along the coast. I felt envious of the fact that these people had probably lived here forever, and that they had the wisdom to continue living here. What does it mean to be sustainable? I started to want to explore that kind of thing.

Currently, while I am making paper as a craftsman at Kurotani Washi, a Japanese paper production area that has been in business for 800 years, I am also creating spaces using washi, an expression that I have been doing since I was a student. Until today, many things have ceased to be created, so I wanted to experience the world of handmade washi paper, which has always existed in Japan. When I traveled to South Korea, I saw handmade Korean paper being used in various places, and I thought it was so beautiful.When I saw how people valued their own culture and used it in a realistic way, I was impressed by how Japanese paper was used. I wanted to learn more about Japanese paper, which is gradually disappearing, which is why I decided to become a paper-making craftsman. At first, I thought I would just make paper for a little while, but before I knew it, 23 years had passed.

Washi paper has long been used for umbrellas and lanterns, and is strong against water. It is a safe and easy-to-use material that is used as a support for various paintings and as a base for lacquer. Above all, people have become captivated by its charm as a soft material that contains light. Japanese paper is used for the openings of Japanese houses, such as shoji and sliding doors, and there are many variations of washi used for spaces such as folding screens and murals. The material, Japanese paper, is made from the bark of trees that are all around us. If you understand what and how people are made, you will understand how to use those materials and how to treat them. I think that there is a way to interact with washi paper in its own way, and I think that conveying this information will create a similar feeling with other materials. Soil is like soil, wood is like wood, rice is like rice...

I believe that the best way to express myself is to properly convey the background of washi, including its background. At Kyoto Shohaku, I created a space using plenty of washi paper with my architect and plasterer friends. The tea you drink there and natural materials such as Japanese paper and plastering. I would like you to experience it for yourself.

→Next time is Kazumi Kawai (ceramist).
(Titles omitted)