Japanese Paper is the earliest known filmed record of papermaking by hand in Japan. This short film was produced by a Japanese cultural organization in 1938 as part of a series designed to introduce the arts and crafts of Japan abroad. Feature filmmakers of the day were commissioned to produce this film, which accounts for the pristine clarity of the presentation.

Japanese Paper, restored and released on video for the first time, follows the traditional process of papermaking clearly and succinctly. In the papermaking process, fibre that has been gleaned from the inner bark of plants is added to a vat of water and the mixture is scooped onto a screen. The water drains through the screen, fibre collects on the surface, and a sheet of paper is formed. The methods for producing Japanese paper, or washi, have changed remarkably little since its introduction to Japan over 1300 years ago, and as such it is one of the few art materials left that is still produced in quantity by its original method.

Filmed in Mino Village, Gifu Prefecture, 1938

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