ASAO KAWAHIRA, a handmade paper craftsman, is a leading expert in Ishu hanshi, an art form that encompasses the entire process from cultivation of raw materials to production. He continues to pursue his own unique techniques, and his mastery of colouring the paper from the papermaking process for processing into thread and paper cloth is an outstanding blend of skilled craftsmanship and modern technology. He also contributes to regional development and the transmission of traditional skills by organising workshops for craftspeople, teaching local primary school children how to make graduation certificates and making efforts to register K-iwami products as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. Mr Kawahira is one of Japan’s leading traditional craftsmen, and the product tags on K-iwami shoulder pochettes and tote bags are made by him.