Matsuhisa Eisuke Kamiten is a washi shop in Mino, Gifu Prefecture, in business since 1876. The Matsuhisa family has worked with Mino's washi makers for nearly 150 years, preserving traditional crafting methods while adapting to contemporary needs. The family's traditional Udatsu-style storefront is preserved as part of Mino's important architectural conservation area, with the current shop just across the street.

Washi is far more than paper. It is a material used for traditional Japanese doors, lanterns, clothing, medical-grade items, and much more. Its production is intrinsically tied to nature, relying on abundant plants, clear rivers, and cold weather. Washi is made from the fibers of plants — particularly paper mulberry — which are cut in a way that allows regrowth. The bark is dried for storage, then softened in water, simmered, and refined by hand before being broken down into individual fibers. The fibers are aligned and layered in a vat to form sheets. This 1,300-year-old process continues today.

The town of Mino has been ideally suited to washi production since ancient times, with its lush forests and the clear waters of the Nagara and Itadori rivers. Washi from Mino was used by the Nara and Heian dynasties, and during the Edo period the entire town was built up around its production. At its peak, Mino was home to as many as 5,000 washi-making workshops, supplying much of the country with high-quality paper for everything from government documents to construction materials. Mino remains an important center of washi production in Japan today, and its traditional architecture — the Udatsu Townscape — is designated as an important architectural conservation area by the national government.

The Matsuhisa family has had a significant impact on Mino's development across generations, including the founding and operation of the Mino Electric Railway and the establishment of washi mills and shops. The second-generation owner, Eisuke Matsuhisa III, was appointed Mayor in 1947. The family continues to work with Mino washi artisans, preserving traditional methods while responding to contemporary needs and trends.