Japanese-style papermaking production
I learned how to cultivate Broussonetia x kazinoki (aka, kozo), in Ikeda, Japan. Here you can see the process of turning kozo into handmade paper. At the University of Iowa Center for the Book, kozo is grown near the papermaking research facility in Coralville, IA.
The paper I have produced from both “Iowa kozo” and Japanese-grown kozo has been commissioned and used by the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and numerous artists from around the globe.
The annual kozo harvest is a festive event wherein UICB students and local members of the Iowa community (and sometimes beyond!) come to the kozo field to communally cut and steam the plants.
