Ogawa Town

the Topic now in Ogawa
the Emperor and the Empress visited Ogawa

　　Ogawa Town

Ogawa, a rural area surrounded with mountains is famous for its Japanese hand-made paper, sake(Japanese
rice wine), tategu (fittings and fixtures) and uraginu (silk linings). The River Tsuki flows through the center
of the town and its clear pure water has been used for both daily life and traditional industries.
小川町は秩父の山々に囲まれた田園地帯です。和紙と好評の醸造所がある他に建具や裏絹で有名です。

重要文化財　吉田家住宅

Ogawa Town Seen From The Top Of Sengenyama
仙元山から小川町一望

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For　The Strolling Ogawa Town

新　・　駅前そぞろ歩記
手すき和紙の技を守り伝える武蔵の小京都

下記に同上記述文有り。

By 東武鉄道株式会社　2012　記　

和紙の里　小川

Washi - Japanese Traditional Paper

During the Edo period (1603～1867),
the number of merchants was rising greatly and they became mass consumers for
Ogawa's washi. At the same time, the demand for Ogawa's washi was also increasing. Ogawa then became the main washi producing area within the neighboring villages.

The great demand for Ogawa's washi continued until the 1950s. Over a thousand hand-made washi factories had existed but due to the changes of the Japanese society and the changing business styles, the production of hand-made washi demand became less and less. However in recent years, the quality of texture, durability, and the beauty of hand-made washi has once again been reconsideeered and recognized as a thing of art in everyday life