In 2026, the Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition celebrates its 33rd year. Set in the historic "Udatsu Streets" of Mino, Gifu, the exhibition displays lantern artworks made with Mino washi. Gently illuminating the old townscape, each piece reveals its own unique expression of light.
What left the strongest impression when I saw the works in person was the softness of light passing through washi. Each piece shapes and spreads its light differently, and I was fascinated by how such a wide range of expression can come from a single material.
Washi is a material that reveals new expressions depending on how it is used and what it is combined with.
At WASHIKA, we combine handmade washi from Mino with leather to create our bags.
Washi that gives shape to light. Washi that becomes a bag you carry every day.
Though their purposes differ, both are born from the same approach: drawing out the character of the material and giving it a new form. Through the Akari Art Exhibition, I was reminded once again of the possibilities that washi holds.
Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition 2026
Dates: October 11 – November 30 | Venue: Udatsu Streets, Mino, Gifu, Japan
