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Message 1
From: Annie Bissett
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 09:42:28 -0400
Subject: [Baren 27986] Self-Introduction and Tokyo Gallery Question
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Greetings all,

I've been a professional illustrator for about 20 years now - got started in
"information illustration" (charts, diagrams, maps) just before the era of
Rapidograph pens and waxed type ended, so I've worked digitally most of my
career. Been restless the last 4 or 5 years and really sick of the computer,
wanting to get my hands dirty and have a piece of paper to hold...

A couple of weeks ago I took a moku hanga workshop with that nice man from
New Hampshire, Matt Brown. Making my first woodblock print was practically a
religious experience for me, and I can't wait to do it again! I feel like
I've found my long-lost medium. So now I'm sitting on my hands waiting for a
few basic supplies to arrive.

While I wait, I'm slowly poking through the archives of this forum. What a
wonderful, rich history the Baren Forum has! I have a lot to learn, which in
fact makes me happy.

I'm going to be in Tokyo for 8 days in June visiting a friend and I want to
see lots of moku hanga while I'm there. I'm especially interested in sosaku
hanga. Wondering if anyone knows of some good galleries or museums I should
check out.

Thanks for being here.

Annie Bissett
Northampton MA

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Message 2
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 08:52:52 -0500
Subject: [Baren 27987] Re: Self-Introduction and Tokyo Gallery Question
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Annie Bissett wrote:
>I'm going to be in Tokyo for 8 days in June visiting a friend and I want to
>see lots of moku hanga while I'm there. I'm especially interested in sosaku
>hanga. Wondering if anyone knows of some good galleries or museums I should
>check out.

Hi, Annie, and welcome to Baren -- David Bull is a Tokyo local, and I'm
sure he might be able to suggest additional venues for contemporary prints,
but in the meanwhile... have a look at http://www.yoseido.com/ on the
Ginza... You'll have a BALL in Tokyo, but the exchange rate isn't too
favorable at the moment, so be prepared!

-- Mike


Mike Lyon
Kansas City, Missouri
http://mlyon.com

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Message 3
From: Dave Bull
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 23:29:21 +0900
Subject: [Baren 27988] Re: Tokyo Gallery Question
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> I'm going to be in Tokyo for 8 days in June visiting a friend and I
> want to
> see lots of moku hanga while I'm there. I'm especially interested in
> sosaku
> hanga. Wondering if anyone knows of some good galleries or museums I
> should
> check out.

When I saw your question I first thought of just posting a link to a
section of the JNTO (Japanese National Tourist Organization) website.
They asked me a while back to put together a 'guide' to where one can
see/buy woodblock prints in Japan. I did so, but it seems that the
material hasn't survived through recent updates of their site. So - at
the risk of wasting bandwidth for those who have no use for it - here
is a copy/paste of the info ... There are three sections:
Japanese prints
Where to see prints in Japan: museum collections.
Where to buy woodblock prints in Japan: print shops.

Dave

***

Japanese prints

Has there ever been a foreign visitor to Japan who has not at some point
during his or her visit here, spent time in a used book shop looking for
ukiyo-e prints? It certainly seems unlikely! Ever since people from
other lands first came to these shores, woodblock prints have been one
of the items most treasured as souvenirs of the visit. And no wonder -
they are beautiful, relatively inexpensive, easy to transport home, and
what is much more important - they perfectly typify the 'Japaneseness'
that the visitors have come here to see.

But can one still see ukiyo-e in Japan - haven't the prints all been
spirited away to other lands by now? No problem! With more than 3 dozen
major collections in museums here in Japan you can browse one a day for
a month and still have plenty left over - if you know where they are!
How about collecting though - surely there is nothing left for sale now
more than a century after the 'end' of ukiyo-e? Here also you will be
surprised; stacks of reasonably priced prints can still be found in the
bookshops of Kanda - if you know where to look!

And is ukiyo-e really at an 'end'? Well you may be in for a surprise
here too! The heyday of ukiyo-e is long past, but here and there in the
back streets of Tokyo's Shitamachi district are tucked away groups of
craftsmen still carving the hard cherry blocks, and printing the soft
beautiful washi. Yes, woodblock prints are still being made today - both
reproductions and originals (and not all the craftsmen are Japanese!)

The courtesans and the Tokaido landscapes long ago disappeared from
Japan, but the visitor who knows where to look can still see them in the
prints. In the next few pages of this section of the website, we will
bring you the information you need to find them, so that you too can
take home your very own piece of the 'real' Japan!

***

Where to see prints in Japan: museum collections.

Last time I counted, I had 171 museums on my 'Where to see ukiyo-e in
Japan' list, but as too much information is worse than none at all, here
is a selection of the best of them. They are nearly all in the Kanto
area, because quite simply - to speak of 'ukiyo-e' was to speak of Edo,
and what was true 200 years ago is still true today ... (All these
museums are closed Mondays)


Edo Tokyo Museum
Yokoami 1-4-1, Sumida-ku, Tokyo. 03-3626-8000 (next door to the Sumo
hall in Ryogoku.)

Spectacular architecture containing stunning displays of many aspects of
Edo life. A good selection of prints is always on display, and
demonstrations by woodblock print craftsmen are frequently featured. If
you've only got time for one museum - this is the one!


Tokyo National Museum
Ueno Koen 13-9, Taito-ku, Tokyo. 03-3822-1111 (in Ueno Park, Tokyo.)

The centerpiece of the collection of national museums in Tokyo's Ueno
Park, located just next to Ueno Station. A good selection from their
large collection is always on display, usually consisting of popular
favorites such as Hiroshige's 53 Stations or Hokusai's Fuji series. And
of course, this very large museum contains much more than just prints.


National Museum of Modern Arts
3 - Kitanomaru Koen, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. 03-3214-2561 (in the park to
the north of the Imperial Palace.)

Glorious collection of 'shin-hanga' prints: Hasui, Goyo, Shinsui and
many more you haven't heard of but will never forget once you've seen
them.


New Otani Museum
Kioi-cho 4-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. 03-3221-4111 (in the New Otani Hotel.)

The emphasis here is on ukiyo-e paintings. Colour and drama like you've
never seen in the prints!


Ota Memorial Museum of Art
Jingu-mae 1-10-10, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. 03-3403-0880 (short stroll from
Harajuku Station.)

Frequently rotated display from their extensive collection of prints and
paintings. Always worth seeing.


Chiba City Museum
Chuo 3-10-8, Chuo-ku, Chiba City. 043-221-2311 (15 minutes walk from
Chiba Station.)

Stages spectacular exhibitions in cooperation with overseas institutions
such as the British Museum. Call first, to see if one is currently
running.


Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts
Haramachida 4-28-1, Machida City, Tokyo. 0427-26-0860 (10 minutes walk
from Machida Station.)

A vast collection covering far far more than 'just' ukiyo-e. For print
buffs.


Japan Ukiyo-e Museum
Shimatachi Koshiba 2206-1, Matsumoto City, Nagano. 0263-47-4440

Very comprehensive collection covering the entire history of the
ukiyo-e.


Ikeda Bunko Library
Sakae Honmachi 12-1, Ikeda City, Osaka. 0727-51-3185

Interesting collection highlighting the actor prints from Osaka - the
kamigata-e


As for the other 162 museums ... perhaps we'll have space for them
later!


***

Where to buy woodblock prints in Japan: print shops.

As with anything purchased in a foreign country, buying woodblock prints
at the last minute at the tourist shop at the airport is not really the
best way to go ... But spending a bit of time hunting up one or two of
these shops will leave you smiling all the way home with your new
prints! What to look for? In recent years, one of the best values in
woodblock prints are the Meiji-era 'kuchi-e' prints that were originally
included as inserts in magazines. These astonishingly well-crafted and
attractive prints have yet to be 'discovered' by the Japanese
themselves, and so are still very affordable.

Tokyo - Jimbocho/Kanda area. (these four shops are all within a one
minute walk of the Jimbocho Subway Station)


Yamada Shoten
1-8 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 03-3295-0252 (Closed: Sun.
Mon.)
Drawers and drawers and more drawers full of prints - everything from
tattered old maps for 150 yen, right up to prints with a zillion zeroes
in the price. This is the place to start your 'hunt' ...


Akanedoh
Yamada Bldg. 3F, 1-8 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 03-3295-0253
(Closed: Sun. Mon.)
One floor up from Yamada Shoten. Their stock is a bit more oriented to
early 20th century prints, with a good selection of shin hanga always on
show.


Toshusai
Jimbocho San Bldg. 1F, 1-6 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
03-3259-1088 (Closed: Sun.)
More drawers! Prints of actors, beautiful women, Meiji battles ...
they're all here, stacked up by the hundreds.


Hara Shobo
2-3 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 03-3261-7444 (Closed: Sun.
Mon.)
A little bit quieter and more 'upscale' than the previous three shops,
but no reason to be scared off, as there are plenty of prints here for
anybody's pocketbook.


Ginza/Hibiya area:
Yoseido Gallery
Ginza 5-5-15, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. 03-3571-1312
Looking for modern Japanese prints? This is the place to go. Thousands
of prints, from hundreds of contemporary artists.


Watanabe
Ginza 8-6-19, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. 03-3571-4684
Lovers of early 20th century 'shin-hanga' will know the name Watanabe,
and yes, they are still in business, still at the same location. The
glory days are gone, but they still keep a respectable collection of
reproductions and modern prints.


Kansai:
Hankyu Street of Old Books (Hankyu Kosho no Machi)
Shibata 1-6-2, Kita-ku, Osaka (tucked away behind Hankyu Umeda Station)
13 old book shops all in a row, many of which carry prints and old
illustrated books. If you can get out of this one in less than a day,
you've got more will power than I do!


Daishodo
Teramachi dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto. 075-221-0685
Get lost in this one, easily. An old shop, on an old street, in an old
city. Single sheet prints, and a large selection of old illustrated
books.


There are of course many other places to find prints in Japan, but
heading for one of these 'hunting grounds' should be all you need - you
will find hundreds of interesting and affordable prints.

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Message 4
From: "Bridget Pilip"
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 09:18:36 -0700
Subject: [Baren 27989] new york, boston
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Hello all:
I will be traveling to New York, Boston and the Cape.
Any suggestions for some great print exhibits to see?
Thanks.
bridget

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Message 5
From: Lynita Shimizu
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 12:42:20 -0400
Subject: [Baren 27990] Re: new york, boston
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Bridget,

When are you traveling?

You won't see "great" woodcuts, but you are welcome to stop by my
studio in northeast CT if you'd like to talk hanga and do some show
and tell. I'll be exhibiting the month of August in the Wilson Gallery
in New Bedford, MA. I think the gallery is something like a block from
where one gets the ferry to Martha's Vineyard and is just a few minutes
from 195 and the entrance to Cape Cod. Please contact me off list if
you are interested. Thanks.

Lynita
lynita@shimizuwoodcuts.com

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Message 6
From: "Bridget Pilip"
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 10:28:11 -0700
Subject: [Baren 27991] Re: new york, boston
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Lynita:
Thank you for your offer.
We are traveling through next Friday.
I will work on my boyfriend to see if we can do a side trip.
I went to your website...I love your work!!!
I can totally relate to all the "critters" out the windows!
(I don't know if you already received a message from me...my computer hiccupped and I don't know what happened to the other message I was writing you.)

How far off the road to Boston is your studio? (and, are you even available on such short notice?)
bridget

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Message 7
From: "Matt Laine"
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 15:00:55 -0400
Subject: [Baren 27992] Re: Self-Introduction and Tokyo Gallery Question
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What is sosaku hanga.?

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Message 8
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 14:08:55 -0500
Subject: [Baren 27993] Re: Self-Introduction and Tokyo Gallery Question
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Matt Laine writes:

What is sosaku hanga ?

Well Matt, a while back a bunch of bored Japanese printmakers took upon
themselves to make baseball star Sammy Sosa their idol...these guys really
loved American baseball...thus the Sosa-ku hanga movement in printmaking
was born.

Sorry..could not help myself....this link explains very well, has images
and an artist list...

http://www.artelino.com/articles/sosaku_hanga.asp


thanks and sorry....Julio

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Message 9
From: ArtfulCarol # aol.com
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 20:42:50 EDT
Subject: [Baren 27994] Re: What is anything...?
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Hi,
Bareners will be more than happy to tell anyone about any term used in
woodblock printing, but you can just type in the word or words you want, then
press GO and you will find plenty of information. If you add the word and the
results will be more focused. I think it is the GOOGLE geeks who do this, no
offense intended.!


Even type your own name and you will find that anything about you on a
website is there. I tried it and was very surprised.

Carol Lyons
Irvington, NY

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Message 10
From: "Matt Laine"
Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 05:56:16 -0400
Subject: [Baren 27995] Re: Self-Introduction and Tokyo Gallery Question
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A real "groaner". I like it.

>>What is sosaku hanga ?

>Well Matt, a while back a bunch of bored Japanese printmakers took upon themselves to make baseball
>star Sammy Sosa their idol...these guys really loved American baseball...thus the Sosa-ku hanga
>movement in printmaking was born.
>
>Sorry..could not help myself....

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