The Japanese paper produced in the Mino region has been prized for its high quality since ancient times. Not only does the name Honminoshi appear in the early 8th Century as a Japanese handmade paper used for copying Buddhist sutras, but many of the oldest Japanese family registers preserved in the Shosoin in Nara are known to have been written on paper produced in the Mino region. After more than 1,300 years, Honminoshi continues to be handmade by skilled craftsmen who use no chemical dyes. The production process for Honminoshi begins with soaking the white bark of the natural paper mulberry (kozo) overnight or even for two nights in a trough of pure water to bleach it and remove the non-cellulose material. After drying it in the sun, it is boiled in a large pot filled with pure water in order to continue the bleaching and to eliminate any acridness. This process is repeated until all defects in the bark are removed. The substance that is obtained through this process is then broken up into into fibers about 5 to 10 millimeters long, which are mixed with a mucilage made from sunset hibiscus and passed through a large screen. Whereas ordinary paper is usually only screened in a single direction from top to bottom, Honminoshi goes through a screening process that twines both vertical and horizontal fibers to bring out its uniquely beautiful and delicate quality. After pressure is applied, the paper is again dried in the sun to obtain the final completed sheet of Honminoshi. In this way natural ingredients, in alliance with water, air, sunlight, are brought together by skilled craftsmen to produce the truly beautiful quality of Honminoshi.