Have you ever attended a Japanese summer matsuri festival? They are a treat for the senses, with food, music, games and often fireworks. During the Obon holiday, people join in joyful dancing to honor their ancestors. Many Japanese communities around the world have similar festivals in their own countries. If you can ever attend one, I highly recommend it

This piece was done in a modern shin-hanga style, which was dominant in the early 1900s at the peak of Japanese woodblock technique. Shin-hanga prints are known for their atmospheric realism, and require many dozens of impressions with hand-carved wood blocks. It was a ton of work to make those prints, but the low yen compared to higher valued European currencies in the early 1900s made it economically viable. 

The top caption translates to 'pocket' and 'monster'. 

The bottom caption is an excerpt from the Kojiki, one of Japan's oldest written works from the early 700s. The line translates to 'I vow that I shall catch'.

This is a handmade woodblock print. Wow - I can't believe how good this looks! We really are making great progress with our apprentice printmakers.

We teamed up again with apprentice printmaker William Francis to produce this handmade print. William is still at an early stage in his training, so his work isn't at the level of Dave Bull and his Tokyo team.

We are also setting a very low price for such a complex print. This is a great opportunity to own a piece of our history, as we slowly train up the next generation of printmakers. We thank you for investing in the future of this craft! In the process of making this print, Calvin learned a ton! 

This design requires many individual impressions to achieve a full range of color. Calvin uses the finest quality of yamazakura (mountain cherry) to carve his printing blocks. The wood is capable of holding a very fine level of delicacy – every last detail is printed by the wood left standing, after the rest has been cut away.

The paper is handmade Echizen Hosho Washi, made by national living treasure, Iwano Ichibei IX. This is the exact same paper printers used over 200 years ago! You can see a video of Mr. Iwano at work here.

This print is in the traditional koban format – 6.5 x 9 inches (17 x 24 cm).