Fusuma Repapering

The repapered fusuma and shoji of a lovely residence in Osaka. The fusuma is made of top-grade, handmade, hontorinoko paper; each sheet costing tens of thousands of yen. Compared to typical paper, an individual sheet of this is much thicker and is made from a fine, high-quality ganpi and birch mix, leaving the surface smooth with little pilling or fluffing. To help this particular paper keep its silky texture for as long as possible, an undercoat of Japanese tissue called kozogami, which possesses anti-mildew and anti-bug properties, was first applied in two layers.