インターネットやデジタルデバイスの急速な発展に伴い、紙の価値を見つめなおす新たな転換期を迎えています。GRAfts PAPER COLLECTIONでは、紙の新たな可能性を様々な切り口で提案していきます。今回のテーマは「Fumi（文）」。通常は流通することがない西陣織の中でも最上級の帯に使われている引箔紙や、全国各地の珍しい手透き紙を使った『今までに見たことがない美しい手紙』を目指しています。 文は人なり、文はその人の価値観や思想、性格といった人間性を映し出します。最近ではSNSが主流になり、気軽に言葉を伝えることができますが、そんな時代だからこそ、その人自身が最も映し出される手紙はとても大切だと感じています。手紙を贈る相手を想像して使う言葉や文面を深く考える。そして「どの便箋にしようか？」「筆記具はどれを使おうか？」「どんな切手を貼ろうか？」などを選んだりするのも、その人の価値観が表れます。以前、大切な人に手紙を贈ろうと便箋を選びにいったのですが、選択肢が多いようで実は少ないことに驚きました。印刷業界に携わって20年、毎日いろいろな紙に触れているせいか、どれも機械紙や印刷用の規格紙ばかりで、どの便箋を見ても心が踊りませんでした。贈られる人の心に刻まれる手紙をつくりたい、そんな想いからこの手紙は生まれました。しばらく会っていない親しい友人、これまで大切に育ててくれた両親、お世話になっているビジネスパートナー、大切にしたいお客様、10年後の自分自身、など手紙を贈る相手は様々ですが、特別な人に贈る世界でたったひとつのあなたらしい手紙を探してみてください。

~A Luxurious Letter for that Special Someone~ As the internet and digital data rapidly take over the information landscape, people are beginning to take another look at the value of paper. At GRAfts PAPER COLLECTION we introduce new possibilities of the many ways to use paper. The theme this time is letters or “Fumi” in Japanese. We are seeking to make stationary that “is more beautiful than any you have ever seen” by using rare translucent paper from all over Japan as well as “Hikibaku” paper used in the exquisite kimono obis. Hikibaku is the highest quality of “Nishijin Brocade” which is rarely available on the open market. “Fumi” is people. It projects their values, thoughts and personality. It reveals their humanity. As social media has become the most common path for communication, it is extremely easy to project “words”. However, this era flooded with words makes it more important than ever to express your true self through letters. Gifting someone with a letter is an opportunity to sit back and imagine the words and sentences you want to convey. It’s also an opportunity to choose what kind of stationary to use, what kind of pen to write with and what stamp to put on the envelope. All of those things convey how valuable the person is to you. Some time back I decided to send a letter to a special friend, but when I went to buy stationary, I was surprised at how few choices there were. Having worked in the printing industry for 20 years and having handled paper every day, all the paper felt like standard machine-made stock used for printing. None of the stationary made me excited. It was this desire to create a letter that made a lasting impression on the person receiving it that gave birth to this stationary. That special person might be a good friend you haven’t seen in a while, your parents who raised you, a business partner, an important client or even a letter to yourself to be opened 10 years from now! The person receiving the letter might be varied, but when sending a letter to that very special person, choose that one-of-a-kind stationary that expresses the true “you”.