Many of us were brought together by the tragedy that fell upon Japan last year. For a company deeply rooted in Japanese fine paper, the tsunami disaster touched the ancient art form we hold dear and the overseas business partners who have provided the exquisite papers our customers adore.
Given our long-standing relationship with this supplier and our own company roots in Japanese paper, we felt it was necessary to lend a hand. As a creative way to provide additional support to Red Cross Japan, Paper Source launched a special initiative and donated a portion of fine paper sales to relief efforts organized by Red Cross Japan.
With our customers’ involvement our donation was a small way to fund rebuilding efforts and thank our partners for their long-time commitment to our business. Thanks to the outpouring of support from our paper lovers everywhere, more than 9,000 sheets of Japanese Fine Paper were sold as part of this program.
One year later, we look back and realize just how resilient our partners were during this catastrophe. Despite massive destruction in the area, our supplier continued production (they did not miss a single order cycle) as they began rebuilding. In fact, they continued development and in the months following the earthquakes produced several new paper styles that are now available.
These Yuzen and Katazome Japanese paper styles are a beautiful addition to our assortment and a wonderful symbol of the creativity that followed such devastation.
We felt the story of our supplier and their incredible creations would inspire all of you. And we hoped comments from our Japanese paper fans would inspire our friends in Japan, as they continue development of their craft and their community.
We invite readers to share comments about your love for paper making or to share links to projects that have been transformed by Japanese paper, and we will share your inspiring words with our supplier.
Your post about Japanese paper couldn’t come at a better time! We are pretending to travel to Japan this week for Travel on Tuesday (our family-based geography project that teaches global awareness to children). Japan is such a beautiful country and its people even more so. I will never forget the time I spent shopping for paper when traveling there several years ago. Though I wish I could just hop on a plane and go back to Japan, I only have to go to the nearest Paper Source to find the same quality and beauty of Japanese paper.
With much appreciation,
Footprints of the Mind
i absolutely love japanese paper! i can’t get enough. here in minneapolis, paper source is the main supplier for my habit. there are so many stories of resiliency and heroism in the wake of the tsunami last year; it makes you realize that maintaining normalcy in the face of disaster takes the highest level of courage.
some of my recent japanese paper projects:
cufflinks: http://www.bellsinspires.blogspot.com/2012/04/cufflinks-and-cross-dressing.html
tile coasters: http://www.bellsinspires.blogspot.com/2012/03/more-paper-coasters.html
buttons: http://www.bellsinspires.blogspot.com/2012/03/chiyogami-covered-buttons.html