Glossary of Kappazuri合羽摺の用語集

This glossary explains the readings and meanings of terms as they relate to kappaban and the work of Yoshitoshi Mori. The readings are those that could be determined at the time of writing in 2026. Readings and meanings may differ from general usage or from usage in other workshops.

Terms of Kappazuri

Kappa: 合羽｜かっぱ; From the Portuguese word “capa.” Originally it meant an overcoat: a garment tailored from woolen cloth, cotton or oilpaper and worn over one’s clothes on rainy days.
Kappaban: 合羽版｜かっぱばん; A term used in the world of printmaking since as early as 1746 (Enkyō 3). Because the work is done directly by hand, the character 摺 (to rub) is used rather than 刷 (to print).
Kappazuri: 合羽摺｜かっぱずり; A technique of drawing on kappagami and printing through it. It was frequently used for honesenzuri, the final finishing process of printing contour lines in ink.
Katazome: 型染｜かたぞめ; English: stencil dyeing; A dyeing technique in which dye-resist starch is applied through a stencil and colors are then added. In Yoshitoshi Mori’s work, the process runs: draft sketch → stencil → kataoki (norioki) → color printing → kumadori → honesenzuri → mizumoto.
Heiyōhan: 併用版｜へいようはん; English: mixed media; A print that combines kappaban and katazome within a single work; the most accurate name for Yoshitoshi Mori’s technique. It is often translated as “stencil print,” but that term does not express the kataoki (norioki) and noribuse processes.
Chokusetsuhō no kappazuri: 直接法の合羽摺｜ちょくせつほうのかっぱずり; English: direct Kappazuri; A method of color printing in which the stencil is placed directly on the paper, without applying resist paste at the kataoki stage.
Kappagami: 合羽紙｜かっぱがみ; A strong paper made by coating several thin sheets of Japanese paper with persimmon tannin and laminating them.
Shibugami: 渋紙｜しぶがみ; English: stencil paper; Another name for kappagami. Because it is coated with persimmon tannin, it is generally called shibugami in Japanese dyeing.
Katagami: 型紙｜かたがみ; English: stencil; A stencil made by attaching the draft to shibugami and cutting it with a knife. Several stencils are needed, depending on the number of colors in the work.
Omogata: 主型｜おもがた; English: key impression stencil; The stencil that forms the ink lines. After color printing is finished, it is used for honesenzuri in ink.
Surikomigata: 摺り込み型｜すりこみがた; English: color stencils; The stencils for the colors, used to brush on each color separately.
Tsuri: つり; English: bridges; Lines that hold the whole design together so that the stencil does not fall apart.
Kanreisha: 寒冷紗｜かんれいしゃ; English: Victoria lawn; A thin, loose-woven fabric. It is used in shabari to connect shapes and lines that would otherwise come apart from the stencil.
Shabari / Shahari: 紗張り｜しゃばり／しゃはり; Placing kanreisha on the surface of the cut stencil and fixing it with japan lacquer. It makes the stencil easier to handle and more durable.
Bōsen-nori: 防染糊｜ぼうせんのり; English: dye-resist starch; The paste that covers areas not to be printed. Sticky rice ground fine is kneaded with rice bran, salt and hot water and steamed; the kneaded paste is then mixed with raw bran and lime. Today it is manufactured and sold.
Bōsen-no-norioki: 防染の糊置き｜ぼうせんののりおき; Placing the stencil on Japanese paper and applying dye-resist starch around it to keep the original color of the paper. Also called kataoki.
Irosashi: 色差し｜いろさし; English: color printing; Brushing on each color with the color stencils. A wide variety of pigments are used, and plant dye is sometimes applied over them.
Kumadori: 隈取り｜くまどり; English: gradation; Adding shading and gradation to colors.
Noribuse: 糊伏せ｜のりぶせ; English: reserve printing process; Covering with dye-resist starch the areas to be left white in the finished work, or areas that have already been colored.
Sumiire: 墨入れ｜すみいれ; Using the omogata to fill in, with ink, the line areas left after the stencil is removed.
Honesenzuri: 骨線摺り｜ほねせんずり; English: skeleton print; The final finishing process of printing contour lines in ink. The omogata is used.
Mizumoto: 水元｜みずもと; Soaking the printed paper in water to wash off the dye-resist starch.
Mizubari: 水張り｜みずばり; Attaching the printed, still-wet work to a board to dry.

Tools and Materials

Kakishibu: 柿渋｜かきしぶ; English: persimmon tannin; Applied to thin sheets of Japanese paper, which are laminated to make kappagami (shibugami).
Washi: 和紙｜わし; English: Japanese paper; The material of kappagami. For printing, too, the stencil is placed on Japanese paper.
Mitsurō: 蜜ろう｜みつろう; English: beeswax; Used to attach the draft to shibugami.
Katana: 刀｜かたな; English: stencil knife; The small knife used for cutting stencils. Yoshitoshi Mori cut his stencils with this single knife.
Urushi: 漆｜うるし; English: japan lacquer; Used in shabari to fix kanreisha onto the stencil.
Hake: はけ; English: brush; Used to brush on each color with the color stencils.
Ganryō: 顔料｜がんりょう; English: pigment; Used for irosashi. A wide variety are used.
Shokubutsu senryō: 植物染料｜しょくぶつせんりょう; English: plant dye; Applied over the brushed-on pigments to give the picture a distinctive moist quality.
Sumi: 墨｜すみ; English: ink; Used for honesenzuri (sumiire) with the omogata.
Mochigome: 餅米｜もちごめ; English: sticky rice; The base of dye-resist starch. It is ground very fine and smooth with a millstone or similar.
Komenuka: 米糠｜こめぬか; English: rice bran; Kneaded with ground sticky rice, salt and hot water to make paste. Raw bran is also added when making dye-resist starch.
Ishiusu: 石臼｜いしうす; English: millstone; Used to grind the sticky rice that is the base of the paste.
Sanshō no ki: 山椒の木｜さんしょうのき; Often used as the stick for kneading the steamed paste in a bowl.
Sekkai: 石灰｜せっかい; English: lime; Mixed into the paste to give it sharp edges and help it set.

Major Techniques of Printmaking

Toppan: 凸版｜とっぱん; English: Relief Print; The oldest printmaking technique, typified by woodblock printing.
Ōhan: 凹版｜おうはん; English: Intaglio printing; A method in which incisions are made with needles or engraving tools in copper, zinc, linoleum or similar plates, and ink is filled into the grooves for printing.
Heihan: 平版｜へいはん; English: Lithography; A technique based on the principle that oil repels water, typified by lithography.
Kōhan: 孔版｜こうはん; English: Stencil; The character 孔 means “hole.” Paper of various kinds is cut out, and paint is rubbed through the openings with a brush. Yoshitoshi Mori’s kappaban uses this technique.

The explanations are edited from the text of “The Technique of Kappazuri” (responsibility for the contents: Mori Atelier; original text: Eiko Mori).