According to Dard Hunter's book titled “Papermaking: The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft,” Hunter states that “the craft spread rapidly in the Empire of Island and in the Nara period (708-806 AD) paper was produced in nine different provinces, and in the Heian period (806-1155 AD) forty provinces of Japan were engaged in production” (53). Everyone involved in the papermaking industry saw how its versatility was beneficial to all societies, despite different cultural or religious backgrounds. Many civilizations knew that paper could be used to keep records, expand literacy in their empires or kingdoms, and perhaps to spread religious or political propaganda. As different civilizations jumped on the papermaking bandwagon, the less valuable it became