Japanese Papermaking (Introduction Period)

Timeline

1. 501–552Yamato Province · JapanIn the early sixth century Japan, through envoys and exchanges with Korean states (Imna, Baekje, etc.), came into contact with paper and writing culture from China. At this time Japan still mainly used wooden tablets (mokkan) for records, and paper was a rare imported good.
2. 552–600Ikaruga · Nara PrefectureAfter Buddhism entered Japan via Baekje in 552 CE (or 538 CE), sutra copying, Buddhist painting, and scripture translation created huge demand for paper. The court and powerful clans began importing paper from the Korean Peninsula while planning to bring in papermaking craftsmen and techniques.
3. 610Asuka Palace · Nara PrefectureAccording to the Nihon Shoki, in the eighteenth year of Empress Suiko's reign (610 CE) the Baekje monk Damcheong (Tangyu) and a court lady crossed to Japan, presenting colored paper and papermaking techniques, and taught the people to make paper from paper mulberry bark. This is the traditional starting point of native Japanese papermaking, marking the shift from reliance on imports to self-sufficient production.