I’m on the Shinkansen to Kyoto at this moment, but I want to report on attending the major national handmade paper show held yesterday in Tokyo. It was four floors of all things paper, and related items. We saw everything from glittery, textured, screen printed papers to stickers, paper thread for tying packages, vintage paper postcards and trims, to silkscreened tote bags, pins, keychains, handkerchiefs and neck scarves. The aisles were packed and Annie and I were the only Anglos. The experiences was spectacular and exhausting.
My friend Nancy Craft, a Japan travel expert who is helping us plan the itinerary for our October 2025 folk art and textile tour, suggested we go. Don’t forget to tell me if you are interested in this trip. We are taking list now.
Gift wrapping is an important part of the culture here. It is as or more important than the gift. There is ceremony in gifting. No one would ever think of putting a gift in a paper bag and typing the handle with a bow (which is something I have done with frequency). I suspect that even a humble gift is elevated to importance when the giver has taken the time to wrap and decorate it.
Here are a few photos of our experience. Most of the expo goers were young women between the ages of twenty and forty-five. Many were toting babies.
