The heart of the works
Joined to the north of the Beater House is the largest of the mill's buildings, the Papermaking and Pressing Hall, where sheets are formed and then pressed free of water. Built in the late Taisho period (1919-1926) and remodeled in 1953, it covers 407 square meters, more than any other building in the compound.
The plan is L-shaped under gabled roofs: an east-west wing holds the papermaking floor (sukiba, 漉き場), while a north-south wing with a lean-to on its east side is the pressing area (assakuba, 圧搾場). This is where the craft that made the Iwano name takes place.
Why it matters
The hall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in February 2021, among the eight buildings entered under the criterion of contributing to the region's historical landscape. If the compound is a diagram of papermaking, this is its center.
Here the mill's flowing-form technique (nagashi-zuki, 流し漉き) turns beaten stock into sheets, some formed on a vat of about two by 2.7 meters that allows the very large paper the workshop is known for. It was on paper made in this manner that the first Iwano Heizaburo built kumohada-mashi (雲肌麻紙), the hemp painting paper carried by Yokoyama Taikan, Higashiyama Kaii and other masters into the history of modern Japanese art.
What to look for
The papermaking floor rises to a high ceiling, and the southeast wall is pierced with two tiers of windows to draw in light, essential for judging the even spread of fiber across the mould. The generous, luminous volume is the point: a large sheet needs room and steady light to be formed well.
The pressing area, where newly formed sheets are stacked with cloth between them and squeezed to drain, adjoins the forming floor so the work can move in one continuous flow. Set on a tight site, the sheer size of the hall gives it a strong presence. It remains in use, and the mill offers tours and sutra-copying sessions by arrangement.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Iwano Heizaburo Paper Mill and Press
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Q&A
- What happens in this building?
- Sheets of paper are formed on the papermaking floor and then pressed to remove water in the adjoining pressing area. It is the central step of the whole process.
- How is the paper formed?
- By the flowing-form method, nagashi-zuki, in which stock is rocked across the mould in layers. The mill can form very large sheets on a vat about two by 2.7 meters.
- Why are there two tiers of windows?
- To flood the high papermaking floor with light, which lets workers judge the even spread of fiber, important when forming large, uniform sheets.
- When was it built?
- In the late Taisho period, about 1919 to 1926, and it was remodeled in 1953. At 407 square meters it is the largest building in the compound.
Basic Information
| Name | 岩野平三郎製紙所漉き場及び圧搾場 (Papermaking and Pressing Hall (Sukiba oyobi Assakuba)) |
|---|---|
| Location | Otaki, Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Registered | February 26, 2021 |
| Registration no. | 18-225 |
| Count | 1 building |
| Date of construction | Late Taisho (1919-1926), remodeled 1953 |
| Structure | Single-story wood frame with a partial second floor, tile roof; footprint 407 sq m |
| Registration criterion | Contributes to the historical landscape of the region |
| Owner | Iwano Heizaburo Paper Mill Co., Ltd. |
| Access | Active workshop; exterior viewing from the lane. Tours and sutra-copying by prior arrangement |
References
- 文化庁 — 国指定文化財等データベース（登録有形文化財）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013723
- 株式会社岩野平三郎製紙所 公式サイト
- https://www.iwanoheizaburouseisisho.com/
- ECHIZEN WASHI — 越前和紙工業協同組合
- https://echizen-washi.com/people/washimakers/washimakers-767/
- 越前市観光協会 — 岩野平三郎製紙所
- https://www.echizen-tourism.jp/travel_echizen/experience_detail/174
Last verified: 2026.07.05