Our Story
It all began with a simple wish: to bring hand-dyed yuzen washi to more people.
Hand-dyed yuzen washi is a type of paper dyed with the yuzen technique, which has been passed down for generations since the Edo period (1603-1868). Generally used to dye kimono, it also came to be used for washi paper.
The day I started helping out at Kadokawa (the company behind REKAO), I found a sample book of hand-dyed yuzen washi. The designs inside were so gorgeous that my heart skipped a beat. However, sales of such paper have decreased with the changing times, and the sample book had been left there, gathering dust.
Nevertheless, I was utterly entranced by its beauty, so I rushed over to a dyeing studio in Kyoto right away to see more hand-dyed yuzen washi and the artisans who make it. There, an artisan who had been dyeing paper for 60 years told me proudly, "This will all be over with my generation. I've been doing it since I was 15."
His declaration that his generation would be the last came as a shock to me. Before going home, I promised, "I'm going to make sure more people learn about this, no matter what! Wait for me!"
That was when I resolved to promote hand-dyed yuzen washi and bring it to the world.
"But why washi?"
"Isn't Western paper enough?"
"Can't you just print the patterns?"
"Isn't 100 yen paper fine?"
I've heard all of this time after time... but no. It's completely different. It is utterly, unquestionably different.
Hand-dyed yuzen washi brings together the precious emotions of those who have created it through time-honored techniques. Each sheet, and each color, is meticulously dyed by hand one by one with silkscreens.
But people don't realize this - and that's why I want to make them understand. It doesn't matter whether it's through my words, photos, or anything else.
I want to make people see it with their own eyes, make them pick up a piece. So, I promise to keep working to bring hand-dyed yuzen washi to as many people as I can.
This is how REKAO began.
Kaori Kadokawa
Representative
REKAO
Our Initiatives
At REKAO, we have launched a new initiative called the SHIMIWATARU Project, which aims to educate visitors and creators on creating, recognizing, and learning about the value of chiyogami, as well as the values of those who make it, in hopes of inspiring people to take a fresh look at tradition.
Company Profile
| Corporate Name | Kadokawa Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1904 |
| Description of Business | Selling washi (paper for fusuma panels, chiyogami, etc.), interior work, product planning etc. |
| Address | 2-9-1 Shimodera, Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 556-0001 |
| TEL | 06-6631-1451 |
| Contact | Our contact form |
| Websites | Kadokawa Co., Ltd. Washi wholesaler with over a century of history https://kadokawairoha.com/ REKAO Online shop for chiyogami/hand-dyed yuzen washi https://re-kao.com/en YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh0-Vu2Rr6VjjeBvyQeYPxg https://www.instagram.com/rekao1905/ https://www.facebook.com/rekaorekaorekao |
Our Store
