The Foundation of Creation: It All Begins with the Selection of Fine Japanese Paper

The making of Iyo Mizuhiki starts with choosing high-quality Japanese paper (Washi).

The final product’s strength, firmness, and beauty are mostly determined at this initial stage of material selection, making it a crucial process.

The washi generally used for Mizuhiki is made from mulberry (Kozo) fibers. Compared to other papermaking materials, Kōzo fibers stand out for their exceptional length, strength, and their ability to intertwine easily.

It is these long and resilient fibers that give finished Mizuhiki its surprising durability and tensile strength—qualities that go far beyond what one would expect from paper.

Because the paper must later be strongly twisted together under intense pressure, if the substrate is weak, it’s impossible to form the distinctive shape of Mizuhiki in the first place.

Every act of creation starts from a profound understanding of these essential materials and an uncompromising eye for quality selection.

Infusing the Spirit: Transforming Paper into Tough "Koyori"

The selected washi is processed into "Koyori"—the source of life for the Mizuhiki craft. This process is the heart of the technique, where regular paper is converted into a uniquely resilient and elastic material.

1. Cutting & Gluing the Washi

First, the chosen Washi is precisely cut into thin strips. These strips are then fed into a specialized machine—called a "Mizuhiki Kakeki." As the strips travel through the machine, they are coated with glue made from sticky rice (called "Norimochi") before moving on to the next step.

2. Strong Twisting

The glued washi strips are twisted powerfully by the machine. This action transforms the flat pieces of paper into adequately tightened cords known as "Koyori."

The robust Kozo fibers endure the powerful tension and twisting, never snapping, and are reborn as dense, corded material.

The crafted "Koyori" thus combines the "spring" of a wire with the supple feel of thread, resulting in a material unlike any other.

Dyeing & Ornamentation: Expanding the Range of Expression

Once the Koyori has been crafted, it is given color, transforming into a material with even greater variety and expression. The dyeing and decoration process greatly expands the artistic possibilities of Iyo Mizuhiki.

1. Dyeing

Artisans immerse the Koyori in vats filled with meticulously mixed dyes, tailored to suit each intended use or design.

Creating uniform, beautiful hues demands strict management of the dye’s concentration, temperature, and immersion time—a space where years of experience and intuition are invaluable.

This is where the iconic red and white, gold and silver for celebratory occasions, or black and white for mourning—colors that conform to the intricate rules of Japan’s gift-giving culture—are precisely reproduced.

2. Ornamentation (Decoration)

The dyed Mizuhiki is further adorned to provide various textures and shines.

Thinly sliced colored paper, rayon yarn, or shiny polyester film are spirally wrapped around the core Koyori. According to interviews, methods like encasing the washi core in Tetron film are commonly used.

This decorative process gives rise to a wide spectrum of Mizuhiki, from those with matte finishes to those shining like silk, or glistening with a metallic sheen.

Shaping Prayers: The "Knotting" that Craftsmen Breathe Life Into

Using Mizuhiki cords in a variety of colors and textures, the final step in the process is the "knotting." At this stage, Mizuhiki is transformed from a mere material into a crafted item imbued with meaning and story.

Craftsmen, relying on blueprints or intuition honed through years of experience, tie each strand of Mizuhiki by hand. There is a rhythm and subtle touch learned through their fingertips that cannot be represented by drawings alone.

The fundamental technique is the "Awaji Knot." By applying variations to this knot, more intricate and decorative knots, such as plum (Ume) knots, pine (Matsu) knots, and turtle (Kame) knots, are created.

In the past, there were specialized artisans who spent decades making only pieces like the crane and turtle parts, or just the wooden parts of motifs such as pine, bamboo, and plum.

By specializing in a single part, their craft was refined, consistently providing high-quality components. Combining these precisely made pieces together resulted in a single, complex Mizuhiki decoration.

Evolving to Preserve Tradition: The Beautiful Relationship Between Machines and Handcraft

Although Mizuhiki crafts have a strong image of traditional handwork, the production process has evolved with the times. Today, a sophisticated blend of mechanization, handcrafting, and a division of labor—which extends within Japan and abroad—is employed.

According to interviews, certain parts of the process—especially basic parts needed in large quantities or knots with a high level of difficulty—are now sometimes specially produced at overseas company-owned factories.

This kind of division of labor does not mean skipping traditional techniques. On the contrary, it is “modern wisdom” that enables each artisan to focus on the tasks they excel at most, allowing for the highest overall quality so these masterful crafts can be shared with more people.

In Japan, a flexible production system enables high-quality parts made at overseas factories to be assembled domestically, or custom, one-of-a-kind products to be painstakingly crafted by hand to meet individual customer requests.

By maintaining and passing down the techniques of traditional craftsmanship while building efficient production frameworks, Iyo Mizuhiki continues to sustain both its high quality and reliable supply.