KEIBIFUGETSU｜KARAKAMI

Brand

New karakami born from superior materials and the hands of traditional craftsmen

KEIBIFUGETSU

• 2022
• Karakami
• Yukio Koizumi Yoshiko Fukatsu Hiroko Tanino Koto Kataoka Hisakazu Suzuki

History

Karakami with a history of more than 170 years

Karakami was introduced from Tang China during the Heian period (794-1185) and was initially used by the nobility as paper for writing waka poems and letters.

After the opening of the Edo shogunate, demand for karakami grew along with the development of the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo).

Our workshop was established in Nihonbashi in the 1850s during the Edo period.

As lifestyles have changed, the number of Japanese-style rooms has decreased, and the demand for karakami as fusuma paper has also shrunk.

In the midst of this trend, we launched Keibifugetsu in the hope that more people will become aware of the appeal of traditional karakami paper.

Characteristic

Crafted by traditional craftsmen and designers

As demand for fusuma paper as sliding door paper decreased, we continued to make efforts such as producing small items suitable for souvenirs, but we felt a sense of crisis when overseas business came to a halt during the pandemic.

It was during this time that I met Hisakazu Suzuki, an artist and designer, and the Keibifugetsu project was launched.

We decided to start with traditional paper making, and asked Hiroko Tanino of HANDMADE WASHI TANINO to provide us with original Japanese paper.

We asked Ms.

Yoshiko Fukatsu, the fifth generation owner of UNKINDO FUKATSU FOLDING FAN STORE, to create the fans using the traditional techniques of the past.

Koto Kataoka of KATAOKA FOLDING SCREEN STORE was asked to create the folding screens.

Thus, Keibifugetsu is a completely new brand created through the collaboration of one designer and four traditional craftsmen.

For Customers

Feel the charm of paper.

We chose the moon as a motif because many Japanese people feel a speical connection with the moon, and it is an existence that gives us a sense of identity.

It took more than a year from the time we decided on the concept to the time we asked the craftsmen to complete the products.

All of the products are beautiful and can be used for a long time.

In this age of smartphones and computers, we hope you will experience the charm of paper through Keibifugetsu.