Japanese Chiyogami
- Jul 6
- 2 min read
Most traditional Chiyogami designs originated from kimono patterns. The transition of the silk kimono aesthetic into mainstream paper products evolved over many centuries, heavily influenced by the artisans of imperial Japan.
Cute handbag card made from Chiyogami paper.
How Japanese chiyogami paper is made
When she was a teenager, my Mum had a Japanese penpal, and through that lovely connection, we've always had Japanese things around the place. I love the delicate layering of patterns in Japanese designs, and was interested to discover that the Chiyogami craft initially emerged as decorated poetry paper. Modern Chiyogami is screen-printed onto washi, which is special paper made from the long, bark fibres of native Japanese shrubs and small trees, such as mitsumata or gampi. The thing about traditional Chiyogami is that it only uses washi paper made from kozo (mulberry bark). The entire process is hugely time-consuming and labour-intensive; washi is pasted onto wooden printing boards and pigmented inks are applied layer by layer using a squeegee. The pattern is meticulously built up in this way, generally finishing with a final metallic overlay of fine metallic mica or brass powders.
Authentic hand-printed Chiyogami is considered a specialty product, maintained by a highly respected but diminishing network of Master Craftsmen (Shokunin) who serve as its guardians.
Handmade chiyogami paper cards
Why authentic washi paper atill matters
Decorative washi paper has never really gone out of fashion - and once you've worked with it, it's easy to understand why. If you can, choose authentic. The difference is in your hands the moment you touch it. See other creative ways to use Japanese chiyogami paper on PInterest ⟶
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