PAPER INDUSTRY. 411 



obtained from the Katas and made legible, to one of the manu- 

 facturers of Chirimen-gami, whose place we had visited, and my 

 interpreter displayed the results of our investigation. The answer, 

 reduced to one sentence, was, that it was useless to hide anything 

 any longer from the Sen-sei.^ This had the desired effect. The 

 man led us into a room and showed us his Oya-kata (matrix) or 

 Ki-gata (wooden mould). It was a board 5 to 6 cm. thick, 90 cm. 

 long, and 30 cm. broad, of hard Sakura wood {Pru7tus psendo- 

 cerasus), resting on two supports. This board was most carefully 

 grooved lengthwise with regular furrows 2 millimeters deep and 

 about the same distance apart. 



In using it, a large sheet of cardboard is saturated with a paste 

 solution, and then laid lengthwise on this form, and with a bone 

 folder pressed into every furrow of the foundation, a work which 

 demands a great deal of time and patience. When dry the form 

 is firmly imprinted and the sheet is furrowed in parallel lines. 

 It is painted with Shibu on both sides, and then serves for com- 

 mon Katas of the kind I have mentioned. The moistened sheets 

 destined for this purpose are wrapped in these grooved sheets and 

 put once or twice under the press, like sheets which are to be 

 transformed into crape paper. The coating with Shibu which 

 follows makes them firmer and more durable. 



Leather Papers, or Kami-kawa. 



These are brought to market in different colours, twilled and 

 smooth, simple or sometimes printed and gorgeously ornamented 

 in raised arabesques, flowers, and other decorations. A beautiful 

 appearance, surprising elasticity, and a softness that reminds one 

 of calf-leather, especially on the under side, are the prominent 

 characteristics of this kind of paper. (See the sample, Plate XIV.) 

 It combines with these considerable firmness which exceeds that 

 of our oilcloth in many cases. Out of it are made letter port- 

 folios, tobacco bags, pipe cases, boxes, small chests, and other 

 articles. It is also used as a floor-covering, like oilcloth, and 

 instead of paper hangings. The simple twilled black-lacquered 

 leather-paper serves also for the Saki-kake or Saki-kawa, with 

 which the feet are protected from rain by drawing them over the 

 Getas or wooden shoes. 



Kami-kawa is manufactured generally in sheets, but also in large 

 pieces. Such a one, 36 feet long and 3 feet wide, with red lilies 

 and green leaves, cost in Tokio 5 J yen. It was eminently adapted 

 for the hangings of a salon. 



A great deal of leather-paper is made in Tokio (in the quarters 

 Honjo and Fukagawa, on the right of the Sumida-gawa). The 



^ The Sinico-Japanese word, " Sen-sei," is the honourable title of a learned 

 man. 



