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What exactly is Tosa Washi? 

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Tosa was, which is a kind of Japanese paper, is facing the process of extinction just like any other traditional craftsmanships. 

The more I learn about Tosa Washi and the deeper I get to know it, the vaguer its figure becomes. An object that we call Tosa Washi does exist, but I cannot detect the essence of Tosa Washi in it. 

I believe that Tosa washi is a form of life. 

The12th-century Japanese Poét Kamono Chomei wrote in his Hojo Ki, ‘The flowing of the river is constant, and yet it is not the water it was before.’ In the same way, the history of the Tosa Washi has been weaved by generations, and everything involved in it continue to metabolise endlessly. The continuity of this millennium-long history and the paper-making activities of the people involved in the various procedures involved in the papermaking industry seem to me to be like living organisms. I believe that what we call Tosa washi is not the material paper itself, but the totality of the paper-making process, which consists of the nature, people and techniques of Tosa that produce it. The essence of Tosa washi lies in this vitality, and we call it 営み(Itonami) in japanese

Through this creation, I would like to bring this activity of Tosa washi to life on stage using a variety of expressive techniques such as dance, music, and text, using the body as a medium. 

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‘Itonamu' is a new form of life called Tosa Washi that no one has seen yet.

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　*Itonamu (いとなむ) = Verb form of Itonami​ (いとなみ)

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