Washi Paper Distributor: Edofiber

Edofiber is a top-rated distributor of Washi papers, a traditional Japanese style of paper that also excels in modern printing applications.

Because of the raw materials used to make Washi paper and the process by which it is manufactured, the finished product is much stronger than conventional paper, as well as being more absorbent and thus able to produce a more beautiful printed result.

Washi is the paper of choice for any printing job that would benefit from more vivid, attractive colors, not to mention crisper images and texts.

With its long-standing connections to the best Washi manufacturers as well as its own status as an award-winning manufacturer, Edofiber is uniquely well-positioned to supply partners in the Western world with this remarkable Japanese paper.

History of Washi Manufacturing

Traditionally known as Tesuki Washi, handmade Japanese paper, Washi is made from the cultivated woody plants kozo and mitsumata and the wild gampi. Because of these materials, Washi paper is tougher, more absorbent, and longer-lasting than ordinary wood-pulp-based paper.

By the time of the Edo period (1603-1867), one form of Washi was popular among Osaka merchants, who used it for their account books. Washi paper account books had a remarkable advantage: whenever a fire broke out, the merchants could throw their books into a well to protect them, since the Washi paper was highly resistant to water damage.

Hand-made Washi is too labor-intensive to be economical, so a number of manufacturers took up the task of creating a modern, mechanized production. Among them was Edofiber’s parent company, Nagai Paper Store.

Nagai Paper Store and the other early pioneers started manufacturing in the city of Kuniyas, now called Saijo City, in the Ehime Prefecture on the Japanese island of Shikoku.

The city is situated in a flat valley located between two mountains, Mount Ishizuchi and Mount Takanawa. This location proved ideal for efficiently obtaining labor, raw materials, and then drying and finally shipping out the finished Washi.

Denzaemon Nagai is the founder of our parent company, Nagai Paper Corporation, and was born in 1899 in Kuniyasu, Ehime. He bacame a Tesuki Washi craftsman in 1916 and went on a sales trip to sell Tesuki Washi paper crafted on his own across the western parts of Japan. This became the foundation of the Nagai corporation’s current business and is part of our century-long heritage.

Award-Winning Manufacturer & Distributor

Washi manufacturing flourished here, peaking in 1951 with 50 different Washi manufacturers. Over time, consolidation and going out of business reduced the number of these manufacturers to three, and Edofiber has connections with all of them.

Edofiber has longstanding relationships with these three remaining Washi manufacturers, thanks to our parent company Nagai. Sugino Washi Paper Factory is one of the three remaining Washi factories. The followings are the process of Tesuki Washi paper making at Sugino Washi Paper factory.

Putting all the materials in water to loosen them and form it into a sheet. While gently rocking back and fourth by hand, making the sheet flat even and transparent . This activity is called “Tesuki.”

After “Tesuking,” they compile a hundred of the single Tesuki sheets and put weight on the pile to compress them. After that, craftsmen peel off each sheet from the other to separate them and dry them naturally in the open air.

In 1955, Edofiber and our parent company were responsible for innovating a modern, mechanized process of Washi production which embodied all of the quality and beauty of traditional hand-made Tesuki Washi while being economical for the international mass market.

It is this fusion of the high quality of the traditional Tesuki hand-crafted Washi paper and the efficiency of modern mechanization.

Edofiber first produced and sold Washi paper chopstick covers for the mass market in 1959. Numerous other products followed: paper for printing, stationery, office supplies, packaging materials, and more.

Today Edofiber is ranked as one of the finest Tesuki Washi manufacturers, having won the coveted Yokozuna Award as the best quality Tesuki Hosyo.

Drawing on our century of expertise, we produce high-quality, beautiful Washi paper that is versatile, stronger than conventional paper, and also able to produce more attractive results than typical, ordinary paper. We are proud of our Washi and the many uses to which it can be put.

Washi: A Versatile Paper

Thanks to the materials used to make Washi and the processes of manufacturing, the finished product is not only stronger but also more beautiful, and with much more desirable textures. This lends it to a variety of uses.

Washi has long been used for artworks and for interior decoration. Today Edofiber and our suppliers produce Washi paper which is optimal for use in letterpress printing, high-definition offset printing, seal printing, digital printing and laminated paper.

Common Washi products include packaging materials, such as boxes, tissue paper, wrapping paper, office supplies, letter and envelope stationery, tissue paper, and wrapping paper.

Digital printing is one of the most promising applications of our Washi paper. The resulting print jobs show high-resolution, high-clarity printed texts and images.

Washi texture is softer and more luxurious than most people are used to experiencing with paper. The surface of a sheet of Washi paper is much more tactilely interesting than a regular sheet of paper, as well as being more attractive and more durable.

The greater absorbency of Washi paper is a key part of what makes it so interesting and effective. After all, paper of any kind has to absorb ink if it is to display printed text and/or images.

Because Washi is more absorbent, it is better at taking in the ink, and that means more vibrant colors and clearer text.

Washi Paper Distribution Opportunities

Edofiber now distributes Washi paper worldwide and is actively seeking to expand its business partnerships in the Western world.

Our digital printing Washi paper is of the highest quality, and performs with excellence on printers, copiers, and commercial digital printing presses. Whatever your printing needs, we can serve as your source for traditional Japanese Washi paper.

We also offer distinct Washi specialty papers for packaging, perfect for wrapping gifts or other packages, as well as stationery and craft supplies. Our custom solutions can cover any special need.

All of our Washi products combine beauty and elegance with unrivaled performance. Every Washi product we sell combines the traditional Washi strength and durability with interesting, luxurious textures and outstanding printing possibilities.

Our expertise is grounded in a century of history manufacturing Washi, and over half a century of modern mechanized production that retains harmony and continuity with the traditional Washi craft.

We have the ability to mass-produce numerous Washi products for the world market, including the United States and the United Kingdom, and we are constantly looking for new partners.

Whatever your printing needs, we are ready, willing, and able to consult with you in order to find a Washi paper solution. You deserve the best in Washi paper solutions, from paper for digital printing to custom badges, file folders, portfolios, table mats, napkins, cups, and many more.

To explore the advantages of Washi paper in products ranging from office supplies to commercial printing, contact Edofiber for samples and business terms.