Where wet paper becomes finished paper
Joined to the north of the pressing area and facing east stands the Stretching and Drying Hall, the building that carries paper through its final stages. Built in 1953 and extended around 1965, it is a two-story timber structure under a gabled tile roof, with a small canopy over the entrance at the north end of the front.
The name marks two tasks. Pressed sheets are stretched onto boards and dried, then finished, before they leave as the large, flawless paper the mill is known for. It is the last production station before storage and shipping.
Why it matters
The hall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in February 2021, one of the eight buildings entered under the criterion of contributing to the region's historical landscape. Standing near the center of the site, it forms the heart of the compound's inner scene.
Drying is not an afterthought. Large sheets must dry flat and evenly to serve painters, and later generations of the Iwano house supplied paper for demanding work, from the Showa restoration of the Katsura Imperial Villa to mural commissions by Hirayama Ikuo and Higashiyama Kaii. Paper of that order is judged partly on how well it was dried and finished in a hall like this.
What to look for
The east side opens into a large work room spanned by a truss (torasu, トラス) that clears a wide, column-free floor, room enough to handle big sheets on their boards. To the west sit smaller drying rooms. The contrast between the broad open bay and the compact rooms tells you how the finishing work was organized.
The exterior is boarded, with weatherboarding and some vertical planking. As a working building near the middle of the compound, it shapes the central view that the registration set out to preserve, and is best seen as part of an arranged visit to the mill.
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Q&A
- What is done in this hall?
- Pressed sheets are stretched onto boards, dried and finished here, the last production step before the paper is stored and shipped.
- What is notable about the structure?
- A wide, column-free work room on the east side is spanned by a truss, giving space to handle large sheets, while smaller drying rooms sit to the west.
- When was it built?
- In 1953 (Showa 28), with an extension added around 1965. It is a two-story timber building near the center of the site.
- Why does drying matter so much?
- Large painting sheets must dry flat and even to be usable. The mill supplied paper for major murals and restorations, work that depends on careful drying and finishing.
Basic Information
| Name | 岩野平三郎製紙所張り場及び乾燥場 (Stretching and Drying Hall (Hariba oyobi Kansoba)) |
|---|---|
| Location | Otaki, Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Registered | February 26, 2021 |
| Registration no. | 18-226 |
| Count | 1 building |
| Date of construction | Showa 28 (1953), extended c.1965 |
| Structure | Two-story wood frame, tile roof; footprint 236 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/101/00013724
- 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