Western paper - Yoshi

It refers to paper that was brought over by sea, but usually refers to paper made by machine from wood pulp using papermaking methods that were introduced in Europe. Paper invented in ancient China was made by hand from long-fiber pulp obtained from hemp rags and other materials, but after it was brought to Europe and papermaking machines were invented, it became Western-style paper that could be mass-produced using wood pulp. Currently in Japan, most paper and cardboard is Western-style paper. Note that machine-made washi paper includes washi-style tissue paper made by machine from long-fiber pulp such as mitsumata pulp and gampi pulp, which are the raw materials for traditional washi paper, as well as tissue paper for copying drawings that is sometimes made by machine from wood pulp as the main raw material.

[Akio Mita April 18, 2016]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

海路伝来してきた紙を意味するが、普通はヨーロッパ伝来の製紙法により木材パルプを機械で抄(す)いた紙をいう。古代中国で発明された紙は麻ぼろなどから得た長繊維パルプから手すき技術によって製造されていたが、ヨーロッパに渡り抄紙機械が発明され、木材パルプを用い大量生産が可能な洋紙となった。日本では現在、紙および板紙のほとんどが洋紙である。なお、伝統的和紙の原料となる三椏(みつまた)パルプ、雁皮(がんぴ)パルプのほか麻パルプなどの長繊維パルプを機械で抄いた和紙風の薄葉紙(うすようし)や、場合によっては木材パルプを主原料として機械で抄いて図面の複写用の薄葉紙に仕上げたものは、機械抄き和紙として取り扱われる。

［御田昭雄　2016年4月18日］

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