wiping paper; paper for wiping (esp. swords)
Refers to paper used for wiping, especially for cleaning swords. Often associated with traditional sword maintenance.
Wiping paper is essential for sword maintenance.
He carefully wiped the blade with wiping paper.
Standard kanji spelling; the okurigana い makes the reading clear.
Alternate spelling without okurigana; less common but still used.
Compound of 拭い (ぬぐい, 'wiping', the continuative form of 拭う) and 紙 (がみ, 'paper'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but the term is associated with traditional Japanese sword maintenance.