Two Japanese papers, one from a colour wood-block print (ukiyo-e) by the artist Kunisada amd a similar recent paper, have been investigated comparatively by thermoanalytical methods, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Two further paper samples, produced from different plant raw materials, have been included in the morphological comparison. This combination of methods allows to characterization and differentiation of different papers and a qualitative determination of their age.