Yuko Narumi, a 21-year-old woman who once dreamed of becoming an illustrator, has abandoned the pencil and plunged into the ancient craft of making paper by hand.

Narumi works at the Tenjin paper mill in her hometown of Uchiko in Ehime Prefecture, providing new blood to the dying craft.

The Tenjin mill produces "Ozuwashi," a brand of "washi" paper recognized by the government as a traditional craft. Since joining the mill in 2012, Narumi has learned the knack of papermaking alongside women of her grandparents' age who have more than 50 years' experience in the craft.