Kamiji Kakimoto
When I moved to Kyoto, I needed a reliable source of paper for my stop motion work. I found Kamiji Kakimoto, a traditional shop founded in 1845. I used their washi for my 2024 SUMMER exhibition at FabCafe, where I animated paper as forest spirits.
While planning my TETOTERA exhibition, I approached them for a collaboration. During my meetings at the shop, the kind people there warmly explained the detailed history and production process of washi. Learning about the raw materials firsthand is exactly why I decided to make mitsumata, one of the core plants used in traditional papermaking, the main character of this new piece.
Mitsumata and the Process
Before shooting, I needed to see how the material is actually grown and processed. I traveled to the ミツマタ群生地 in Shiga, and visited farms and craft stores across Kansai, Nara, and Kanazawa.
At each location, I talked with people who work with washi and bought some raw materials: unprocessed branches, bark, and raw fibers. I wanted the animation to show both states of the material. On set, I animated these raw plant elements alongside the refined washi I purchased from Kamiji Kakimoto.
Bringing everything back to the studio and rebuilding the papermaking process frame by frame was highly educational. I was juggling commercial client deadlines that autumn, but the hours I spent on this piece were the ones I looked forward to most.
For the sound design, I recorded the audio myself using the physical materials on set. All the sounds you hear were built directly from the washi, fiber, and raw bark used in the animation.
TETOTERA (KG+ 2026)
The finished animation is part of TETOTERA, an exhibition held inside Shoyo-in Temple in Kyoto. To connect the digital video back to the physical craft, I did not want to use a standard monitor. Instead, I built a large physical screen entirely out of washi paper. The animation is projected directly onto this paper screen inside the temple's designated “Washi Paper Room,” integrating the light and movement directly into the material itself.
