february-2011

DISAPPEARING ASIA
The triumvirate art of
ukiyo-e provides a diff erent
perspective of reality
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY TREVOR MOGG
Colour
My World
In
a quiet Kyoto backstreet, just around the
corner from Kennin-ji Temple, you’ll fi nd
what master printer Mamoru Ichimura calls
“the smallest ukiyo-e museum in the world”.
Ukiyo-e, translated literally as “pictures
of the fl oating world”, is an art form that
fi rst came to prominence in 17th-century
Japan. The “fl oating world” refers to passing
moments in time, fl eeting beauty and
transient pleasures. The infl uence of these
charming woodblock prints spread far and
wide, with the likes of van Gogh and Monet
drawing inspiration from their unique style.
The creation process is collaborative,
comprising an artist, carver and printer.
Ichimura-san learned how to create ukiyo-e
prints by observing his grandfather. “I took
over from him more than 50 years ago.
I opened the museum a decade ago as
22 FEBRUARY /MARCH 2011
I wanted to spread the word about this
wonderful art which sadly is dying out.”
Ichimura-san’s workshop is a chaotic clutter
of paint pots, brushes, carved wood blocks
and paper, but when he settles down on the
tatami fl oor to work, a sense of order prevails.
It quickly becomes apparent that extreme
precision and deftness of touch is essential.
After wetting the carved woodblock he
carefully inks its entire surface using a
horsehair brush. Next, he takes a sheet of
lightly dampened paper, specially prepared
so that it absorbs the ideal amount of ink, and
gently lays it over the woodblock, ensuring it
lines up exactly with the carved marks at the
bottom of the block. Using a baren, a circular
pad, he presses hard but evenly on the paper
to ensure the ink is properly transferred. Once
satisfi ed, Ichimura-san slowly peels the freshly
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inked paper from the block. A diff erent block is
used for each colour added, with diff erent parts
of the carving raised for each individual colour.
The master printer takes great pride in
demonstrating his skills to visitors. “It’s a
pleasure to share my passion for this art, and
it allows me to meet people from all over the
world. I’ve never been out of Japan, but through
my visitors I’ve been all over the world.”
Now 67, Ichimura-san has no plans to retire.
“There are less than 50 printers like me left in
the whole of Japan. I enjoy it so much that I’ll
continue for as long as I can.”
Ichimura-san has a large collection of prints
on show at his museum. Visitors can watch
him at work, and even have a go themselves.
151 Komatsu-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto,
tel: +81 (0)75 561 7355