Tokyo Weekender - December 2017 - January 2018

experiences ART
CARVE YOUR
WAY INTO
UKIYO-E
Where to learn the traditional
art of woodblock printing
Ukiyo-e is a style of woodblock print art
popularized in the Edo period (1603-
1868) and was often used as a form
of advertising, spreading information
and setting trends for common
people. However, due to the influence of the Meiji
Restoration of 1868 and following the deaths of
artists like Hokusai, ukiyo-e began its decline.
Woodblock printing continued with more modern
styles, which in turn gave rise to contemporary
artists like Hidehiko Goto, Rebecca Salter and Shoji
Miyamoto who continue to reinvent the medium.
The process of traditional ukiyo-e printing
was not simple – it required collaboration of
multiple artisans for all stages. Artisans made
and prepared the base woodblocks, while artists
designed and painted the images to be printed.
Carvers were needed to create the actual “stamp”
for printing, and finally, printers to bring the
artwork to life. These days, those interested in
continuing the legacy of woodblock are hindered
by the fact that there are few, if any, craftsmen
creating many of the materials needed.
Currently, there are only six ukiyo-e level
woodblock-carving masters left in the world (all
in Japan), and one of those is master woodblock
carver Motoharu Asaka, who has been practicing
his craft for 40 years. It is at his studio, Takumi
Hanga, where complete beginners to the art
– regardless of nationality – can get firsthand
experience in this skillful practice. Asaka-sensei
WHERE TO MAKE YOUR
OWN WOODBLOCK
PRINTS
TAKUMI HANGA FUREAI KAN
Take a one-time class or create
your own long-term course at
Master Motoharu Asaka’s studio
in Shinjuku. Regular classes in
English are provided with the assistance
of interpreter and artist
Louise Rouse. ¥6,000 per session,
takumihanga.com
MOKUHANKAN
Centrally located in Asakusa,
woodblock carver David Bull holds
“print parties” where visitors can
try out printing pieces themselves,
and see professionals carving
and printing in action. ¥2,000 per
session, mokuhankan.com
MACHIDA CITY MUSEUM
OF GRAPHIC ARTS
One of few museums in the world
dedicated to prints, MCMGA offers
occasional classes on copperplate
etching and screen-printing,
and woodblock printing. See the
museum schedule for more details:
hanga-museum.jp/english
opened up his studio to students not looking to
become masters – something that is uncommon.
“Once I turned 60, I realized there are so few
woodblock artisans. This should be shared with
everyone – not just Japanese people. Very few
successors join and even fewer become masters.
I want everyone to experience this art.”
Visitors to Takumi Hanga don’t need to have
aspirations to become the next Hokusai as Asaka-sensei
offers one-time printing sessions using
his own blocks. More adventurous students
create their own designs and learn how to print
them in a double-session class, while those who
want to dedicate themselves to the medium can
arrange a full course where they can go more
in-depth and learn the whole process.
One long-term student is Jane Fulton Suri,
who comes to the studio whenever she visits Tokyo.
She has been working on several projects
for almost two years. Even so, she says she still
has a lot to learn. “I know what I’m doing, I’m
just doing it wrong. You can be on your sixth
color [of the same print] and mess it up, and
then it’s just completely blown apart. Thankfully,
Asaka-sensei is accommodating of today’s
ambition and impatience – mine included.”
Despite the difficulties, frustration and discipline
the medium involves, Fulton Suri loves
it. “It’s quite meditative as you learn how the
materials behave. Also, the history and culture
behind it gives me a context for Japanese art. I
guess it feels like a privilege to be doing this.”
44 | DEC 2017 - JAN 2018 | TOKYO WEEKENDER