Visit

Kami no Sato has operated as a specialized handcrafted Nishinouchi paper store since 1970. During the Edo period (1603-1868), this paper was highly valued even in Edo (the former name for Tokyo) as an exclusive product of the Mito Domain, which ruled the central and northern parts of the present Ibaraki Prefecture. With a history spanning 350 years, Nishinouchi paper is designated as Ibaraki Prefectural and National Intangible Cultural Property. Its distinctive feature is being made from Nasu kozo (mulberry tree), which grows in Hitachiomiya City and Daigo Town. The significant temperature difference between day and night makes the fiber of this plant lightweight, durable, and waterproof- it is an excellent raw material for washi paper. Nishinouchi paper made from thin and short Nasu kozo fibers is resistant to water damage and folding.
At the souvenir shop of Nishinouchi Paper Kami no Sato, various handmade washi papers, interior decorations, miscellaneous goods, and accessories are available for purchase. There is also the Kami no Sato Nishinouchi Washi Library of Records where tools used in the papermaking process of Nishinouchi paper are exhibited. A paper design workshop, where dyed fibers are placed on washi paper to create artwork, is also held by reservation in advance.