<p>A papermaking unit (13) comprises: a papermaking wire mesh unit for forming a wet paper web (12) from pulp suspension (8); and a headbox unit for supplying the pulp suspension to the papermaking wire mesh unit. A control unit (700) comprises a papermaking initial-period control functional unit for controlling the papermaking unit (13) during a papermaking initial period. The papermaking initial-period control functional unit controls the thickness of a leading edge region of the wet paper web formed during the papermaking initial period to a papermaking initial-period set thickness, wherein the papermaking initial-period set thickness is set to be thicker than a papermaking normal-state set thickness, which is a thickness of a normal-state region of the wet paper web, the normal-state region of the wet paper web being formed following the leading edge region of the wet paper web.</p>
