TRAVEL WATCH: DECEMBER 13, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 23

ALSO IN TIME

Safety Tip: Listen to Those Boring Demos! If you think flying safely is all up to the pilots, think again Detour Legend has it that 1,500 years ago a beautiful princess appeared in Imadate Web Crawling If it took you years to get back in the pool after seeing Jaws, it may take decades to get back on a plane after a visit to airdisaster.com Off the Shelf The Forbidden City: This pocket-sized guide to Beijing's premier landmark accomplishes a great deal in a small space

Detour

Legend has it that 1,500 years ago a beautiful princess appeared in Imadate, Japan and taught the villagers how to make paper from mulberry plants. Today travelers to Imadate, about two hours by train north of Osaka in Fukui prefecture, can learn the craft for themselves. The birthplace of Japanese papermaking--and paper money--is home to a thriving craft community that celebrates the town's artistic past. In the museum, visitors can use screens to scoop pulp from a vat and then leave it to drain. Before it is quick-dried, colors and dried flowers can be added to give the mix some style. It costs about $5 to make your very own piece of paper.