The Journey of Paper: From Papyrus to Japan

When I visited the washi museum in Tokushima and later tried papermaking in Kudoyama, one detail stayed with me.

The story of Japanese washi does not begin in Japan. It begins thousands of years ago, along the Nile River.

I stood in front of a small display showing Egypt’s papyrus, ancient China’s plant fibers, and hand-formed Japanese sheets.

In that moment, the world felt connected through paper. What looked like three separate cultures suddenly formed one long journey — a journey that moved slowly across time and land until it reached Japan.

This series begins with that journey.

 

Papyrus: The First Step in Paper’s Story

People in ancient Egypt made papyrus from the tall reeds that grew near the river. They cut the stems into long strips, placed them in layers, pressed them flat, and dried them under the sun. The result did not match modern paper, but it carried ideas, prayers, and records across generations.

Papyrus shows the first human wish behind every sheet of paper: the desire to preserve memory.

The Idea of Paper Moves East

Knowledge traveled slowly across the continent. Along trade routes and through the hands of merchants, the idea of a sheet you can write on reached the civilizations of West and Central Asia. From here, the story shifted again.

People in different climates explored new ways to make a writing surface. Some used animal skins. Others pressed bark or fiber. Each culture shaped its own answer to the same question: how do we record our thoughts in a form that lasts?

 

China and the Birth of True Paper

In the first and second centuries, Chinese makers found a new approach. They softened plant fibers in water, broke them down, lifted them with a screen, and formed a thin sheet as the water drained away. This method did not press fibers like papyrus; it wove them.

The result felt light, durable, and strong. It allowed people to write with smooth lines and clear strokes. This moment marked the beginning of paper as we know it today.

 

Paper Reaches Japan

The idea continued its journey toward the east. In the year 610, a monk named Donchō brought papermaking knowledge to Japan. This event marks the symbolic start of Japanese papermaking, although the craft likely arrived in stages through trade and cultural exchange.

Japan received the technique, looked at its own land, and began to transform the method.

 

The Japanese Answer to Paper

Japan’s climate brought heavy rains, clear rivers, and cold winters. Its land offered plants such as kōzo, mitsumata, and gampi, which give strong fiber. Local makers used these fibers, pure water, and a unique technique called nagashizuki, which let the sheet form slowly and evenly.

The result gave the world something new: paper that felt alive. Soft, strong, light, and warm, washi captured light, water, and time in a way unlike any other paper on earth.

 

Why This Journey Matters

When we hold a sheet of washi today, we touch more than Japanese tradition. We touch a chain of human invention that stretches across deserts, mountains, and centuries. From papyrus reeds by the Nile to washi fibers in Japan, paper has carried stories, guided rituals, and shaped cultures.

This journey reminds us that craft does not stay still. It grows, travels, and adapts, just as we do.

 

Closing

In the next article, we will enter Japan’s early history and explore how washi supported prayer, art, and daily life during the Nara and Heian periods. Washi did not simply arrive in Japan; it took root and became part of the country’s soul.

For a closer look at how washi continues to inspire modern expression, you can also read our earlier article, Washi as Art and Art Upon Washi.