日時 2015年9月5日（土）13:30～16:30
内容 手漉き和紙体験と大きな紙の制作
場所 手すき和紙工房 潮紙（宮城県柴田郡川崎町今宿笹谷町80）
対象 小学3年生～中学3年生 11名
講師 塚原英男、毛利彰
参加費 500円
SUPER BIG BOOKの前半は、手漉き和紙の制作です。
まずは伝統的な紙漉きの技法である「流し漉き」と「溜め漉き」による紙漉き体験です。「流し漉き」とは、和紙の原料であるコウゾの皮とトロロアオイを混ぜた紙料液を漉桁（すげた、すきげた）と呼ばれる枠に汲み、前後左右に揺らすことで水分を流しながら原料を均一に絡めて漉く技法です。
最初は、講師の塚原先生が手を添えて補助をし、塚原先生が考案した「かみすきうた」を歌いながら紙を漉くためのリズムや体の動きを覚えます。もうひとつの「溜め漉き」とは、紙料液を漉桁に溜め、底から水分を抜いて漉く技法です。この技法を用いて、星やハートに型抜きされた色紙やカラフルな紐を漉きこみ、ハガキやコースターを制作しました。
紙漉き体験の後は、いよいよ後半のワークショップで使用する大きな和紙の制作です。和紙のサイズは、縦140センチ×横85センチ。このサイズの和紙を漉くのは、塚原先生、毛利先生にとっても初めての挑戦です。こどもたちの視線が集る中、一発勝負の紙漉きを見事に成功させました。そして漉きたての大きな１枚を、こんどはみんなで、また色紙やヒモを使ってカラフルな表紙に仕上げました。中には想定外だった折り紙でつくった立体物を配置したりと、最終的な仕上げ作業を行なう塚原先生、毛利先生の頭を悩ませていました。
今回、紙漉き職人が仕事で使用する本物の道具を、特別に使用させて頂きました。どれも貴重な道具ばかりですが、中でも漉桁に挟んで使用する漉き簀（すきす）という道具は、今の日本に製作できる職人は2人しかいないそうです。紙漉きの知識は、本やネットでも知ることができますが、経験は、実際の体験を通してしか得ることができません。技法、材料、道具の全てが本物であることが、日本の未来を担うこども達に伝統産業を正しく伝えていく上で大切なことだという塚原先生。その想いは、こども達にしっかりと伝わったようです。
SUPER BIG BOOK Traditional Handmade Washi
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2015 13:30–16:30
Contents: Experiencing traditional handmade Washi (Japanese paper) production and the making of a big sheet of paper
Venue: The Ushio Paper Mill, 80, Sasaya, Imashuku, Kawasaki, Miyagi
Target: Students from third grade to ninth grade, 11 students
Instructors: Hideo Tsukahawa, Akira Mouri
Participation fee: JPY 500
For this workshop, which comprises the first half of “SUPER BIG BOOK,” we organized a papermaking experience that also involved making a large piece of Washi to be used in the workshop in the second half, at the Ushio Paper Mill, located in Sasaya in Kawasaki Town, Miyagi Prefecture.
First, the participants were able to try out the traditional papermaking techniques of Nagashisuki and Tamesuki. Nagashisuki is a technique where the raw material for Washi, paper liquid made by mixing paper mulberry bark with sunset hibiscus, is scooped onto a framed reed called “Sugeta” or “Sukigeta” and then shaken back and forth and from left to right to spread the raw material evenly. In the beginning, the instructor, Mr. Tsukahara, lent a helping hand and sung his original song for papermaking together with the kids so they could remember the rhythm and the body movements. While it certainly was a tough fight for the first timers, in the end they all managed to make their own sheet of Washi by themselves. Tamesuki, another method of papermaking, is a technique where the pulp is placed on top of the reed and the water then drained from the bottom. Using this technique, the children made postcards and coasters decorated with colored papers cut out in the shapes of stars, hearts and colorful strings.
After trying out papermaking, we finally proceeded to making the big sheet of Washi that would be used in the workshop in the second half. The finished sheet measured 140 cm in length and 85 cm in width. Although it was the first time for teachers to make Washi of this size, they kindly did many trials beforehand for the “SUPER BIG BOOK.” In the actual workshop, under the converging eyes of the children, the one-shot papermaking process turned out to be a success. Seeing as this big sheet of Washi would eventually be the cover for our “SUPER BIG BOOK,” the children went on to freely decorate it with colored paper in various sizes and paper strings. Some children surprised the instructors with three-dimensional objects (e.g. Origami), making Mr. Tsukahara and Mr. Mori put their heads together to think about how to finish the big paper.
For this workshop, the children could use the actual tools with which papermaking artisans perform their work. Every single one of the tools is highly valuable, but one of them that stood out amongst the others was a mat made from bamboo and reeds called “Sukisu,” which is used by placing it in between the framed reeds. It is said that only two artisans remain in Japan who know how to make this tool.
While books and the internet also provide a chance to gather knowledge about the process of papermaking, the experience can only be gained through actual practice. Mr. Tsukahara emphasized that it is very important that all of the parts of the experience—the techniques, the ingredients, and the tools—to be authentic in order to introduce traditional crafts to the children, who carry the future of Japan. We are confident that this sentiment did in fact reach the hearts of the children.
