Skin deep: Japan's 'washi' paper torn by modern life At a small workshop in western Japan, Hiroyoshi Chinzei, a fourth-generation traditional paper maker, watches as his staff steam and rinse materials to make his "washi", the world's thinnest paper. Once an indispensable part of daily life in Japan, the ultra-thin washi was used for everything from writing and painting to lampshades, umbrellas, and sliding doors, but demand has plunged as lifestyles have become more westernised. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITESREFILE TO CORRECT SHOOTING LOCATION