Even though Mizuuchiwa(Water Fan) was renowned for its exquisite beauty, it was gradually lost to view with times and came to be called “Illusory”. There is a good reason for this.
It is because the production of authentic Gampi washi, the most important part of Mizuuchiwa, became obsolete. Due to the change in printing method, there was a drastic decline in demand for Gampi washi, which had been mainly used as stencil paper for the conventional mimeographed printing. On top of that, the manufacturing process of Gampi washi was so laborious that craftsmen were not motivated to continue.
In 2003, Gifu City started promoting the “Slow Life Campaign”, with the aim to “rediscover the buried heritage of Gifu”. As part of the campaign, some local young people suggested bringing Mizuuchiwa back to life. Naoko Furuta, a product director at Ieda Paper-craft, Inc. was a member of the executive committee, and heard this idea.
Furuta then talked with Manabu Ieda, who believed that the key factor to revive Mizuuchiwa was the reproduction of extra-thin Gampi washi. The task was entrusted to “Corsoyard”, a group of young local craftsmen, produced by Ieda Paper-craft, Inc. They had a good reputation for their thorough work.
With the guidance of skilled masters, young and enthusiastic “Corsoyard” artisans devoted themselves to restore the ancient craftsmanship of Gampi washi production. After a year of trial and error, and with the help of Japanese fan craftsmen, the first prototype of a Mizuuchiwa was completed by Ieda Paper-craft, Inc. The achievement propelled them to make further efforts for attaining higher quality.
Another remarkable feature of Mizuuchiwa is its various kinds of pictures on the surface, which certainly enhance the translucent beauty. This particular painting on washi follows the technique called “Lantern Painting”, as it is elaborated to show its finest beauty when illuminated by light. Such ingenuity of ancient craftsmen has been passed on for over 100 years. Picture patterns from then are still preserved at Ieda Paper-craft, Inc. Using various ancient painting methods, each fan is painted carefully by hand.
In the process of pursuing the ancient technique, all the materials are carefully selected to be 100% organic, safe and secure. Even the varnish coating is made from all natural ingredients.
So this is how Mizuuchiwa was revived. It took three whole years to finally realize the present form. It is indeed the article of the highest quality. Every step of production is the very fruit of the craftsmanship nurtured by the river culture of Nagara River, which has been a hub of artistic inspiration.

（Furuta Nahoko）