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Show Part 11 The Pilgrimag N undertaking a pilgrimage to the Orient in quest of information specimens, and tools relating to native papermaking, the all importan have friends in th tricts, and who have access to the various mills and workshops Withou such introduction the task would be hopeless, as in the Orient many o lhc old handmade paper mills are situated in remote locations where fe foreign visitors would have reason to penctrate, and the mill owners an wurken till have the ancient idea of secrecy and mystery about their craft thout proper introduction through native gentlemen who are known an !ru:u:d by the papermakers the finest mills would remain but a blank wal to the foreign intruder, for, with all their inborn courtesy and hospitality certain that the sightseer is seriously interested in their work and has onl honourable intentions. There still cxists in the Orient that mediacva secrecy which not many years ago enshrouded the mills and workshop of Europe and America-indeed even to this day this same seclusion a reticence prevail in a few of the English and Italian handmade paper mills In Japan my papermaking sojourn was planned and supervised by a number of gentlemen connected with the Oji Seishi Kabushiki Kaisha (Oj Paper Company), including Mr. K. Takashima, managing-director of thi company, Dr. T. Seki, secretary of the Nispon Seishi Rengokai (Associatio of Japanese Paper Mills),Mr. Yasunosuke Fukukita, purchasing age the Oji Company, and Mr. S. Yamada, of the export department of thi large manufacturing concern; Mr. Shigeo Nakane, of the America Embassy, Tokyo, also rendered most valuable assistance and guidance [41 Digitalimage ©2004 Mariot Library, University of Utah. Al rights reserved |