Microscopic examination of the hemp and ramie papers of the Nara period and documentary investigations have revealed that ancient papers of the Nara period are characterized by more branched fibrils, shorter fibers (a little less than 2mm), and much higher bulk density than today's paper. The authors attempted to reproduce these ancient papers by the following method: 1) cut the woven or unwoven fibers to the size of 2-3mm with a knife, 2) apply water to get a water content of about 70-80% by weight, 3) beat small portions of the wet cut fibers with a pestle in a mortar for a prolonged period of time. The reproduced paper was very similar to the ancient one under microscope, but its appearance was different. The surface of the papers must have been treated further after being made into paper.