Tsushima Textiles: Weaving Paper Cloth in Hiroshima Bay

On an island in Hiroshima Bay, one company is dedicated to preserving an endangered weaving tradition that uses a material that might surprise you.

Tsushima Textiles in Etajima, the collective name of a group of islands in Hiroshima Bay just south of the city of Hiroshima, is one of only two companies in Japan that weaves cloth from thread made of paper, known as shifu.

Founded in 1890, Tsushima Textiles initially worked with cotton but shifted to making shifu in 1939 after the 3rd-generation president developed a technique to dye paper yarn, which could be woven into fabric. The lightweight fabric was exported to the United States where it was turned into Panama hats. Later, the material was used to make wallpaper, which first proved popular in the United States and Europe, where this “Japanese-style wallpaper” was appreciated for its durability and unique texture.

In a textbook case of what is known in Japan as “reverse importation,” overseas popularity attracted consumers’ attention at home, and paper fabric wallpaper also started to sell throughout Japan. At its peak, Tsushima Textiles produced over 500,000 meters of shifu a year.

The powerful pull of the threads of tradition

Hisato Tsushima is the current head of Tsushima Textiles. After he graduated from technical high school, Tsushima actually left the island and the family business to pursue a career as a wallpaper maker elsewhere. Although he was never pressured to take over the family business, the deep connection he felt to the art, born of growing up surrounded by the sound of looms weaving shifu, eventually drew him back to the island, where he now works as the fifth-generation head of the company.

On his return, he apprenticed under his father. In common with many of Japan’s shokunin craftspeople, he didn’t receive formal instruction but learned by watching his father work, developing a “feeling” for the work through trial and error. Years of practice have instilled in Tsushima an innate sense of how even subtle changes in heat and humidity in the factory affect the materials and looms with which he works.

Weaving paper thread into products

Tsushima Textiles uses thread made from both Japanese washi paper and Western paper made from coniferous trees both of which is sourced from Shizuoka. The threads are created by twisting thin strips of paper, which are then dyed.

Tsushima Textiles’ paper cloth combines various shades and thicknesses of paper yarn with additional pigment dye, resulting in a fabric that is not only attractive but also breathable and well-suited to Japan’s humid climate.

A punch card system allows adjustments to the patterns of the paper cloth produced. Workers then undertake a final quality check of the almost-finished product with their skilled eyes.

Woven like a fabric, shifu wallpaper is often described as “wallpaper that breathes” as it has excellent air permeability. It also has high moisture absorption properties and is resistant to condensation that may result from heating in the winter. It is also more resistant to stains and wear than modern wallpaper with vinyl-printed patterns. It is said that its durability actually increases as it ages.

Traditional craftsmanship in the modern era

Although, now that mass-produced vinyl wallpaper dominates the market, those days are in the past, Hisato Tsushima, is determined to spread appreciation of the intrinsic value of shifu as well as its exceptional characteristics.

His work is highly regarded for its quality and level of craftsmanship, thanks, in part, to his deft use of social media to raise awareness of papercraft textiles. He receives commissions from architects, designers, and people who visit the factory to view the intricate weaving process.

The versatility of shifu

As well as wallpaper Hisato Tsushima makes hats, furniture coverings, and interior products such as elegant lampshades.

Recent collaborations range from working with designers on handmade designer bags that fetch high prices to a student group that came up with the idea for a simple but innovative use of Shifu to create a reusable coffee cup sleeve that is sold as a set that includes one of Tsushima Textiles’ shifu coasters.

Tsushima Textiles’ work can be found in the rooms and lobby of the nearby hot spring hotel Etajimasou, recently recognized in the World Luxury Hotel Awards. The coasters mentioned above can also be purchased here.

Tsushima Textiles (津島織物)
IG @sihusihutm

Tsushima Textiles is one of 10 local artisanal companies participating in the Pieces of Peace Hiroshima Craft Exhibition, which will be held November 15-17 at Kiro Hotel in Hiroshima.