Written on July 25, 1989 [Permalink]

July 22

Printed the sample 10 (sumi and colours). He looks pretty good, but both the face and the kimono colours look too yellowy. After coming home from Fussa English class (the last one before summer!), prepared 30 sheets for a run of (hopefully) good copies.

July 23

Printed the sumi in the morning, before going off to Yamashita-san's place for lunch. Unlike the last print (Tsunenobu), which used different blocks for the black outline and the face, this one is all on one block. I'm finding it difficult to get the outlines strong enough, but without smashing the fine lines of the face. Printing a smooth, even black is still totally beyond me.

Lunch! Giant trays of delicious sushi, mugs of beer, etc. etc. Of course when you visit a company president for lunch ... We were there from eleven till about five, eating, looking at his pictures, and discussing his future plans of opening a museum where children can see and enjoy 'fine' art. He seems to be an open, friendly person, not too interested in his present job (he inherited the cardboard factory from his father). He got great pleasure showing us his paintings (all 'Nihon-ga'), along with careful descriptions of the ranking of the artists, and the price they commanded per square unit (they all seem to be priced in multiples of a postcard-sized unit). The painting he bought a few weeks ago, set him back a mere ¥5,800,000. (What's he doing buying my stuff? It doesn't fit his pattern of 'big name', 'high-ticket' collecting). Maybe he really likes it!

July 24

A quiet, peaceful day - finished the 30 copies. Couldn't settle on a colour for the kimono, so tried various shades. When they're properly dry tomorrow, I'll see which is best.

I nearly forgot to mention (!), we started another customer today - a Mrs. Morimoto from Tokushima prefecture in Shikoku. She saw the 'Foto' article, called for more information, and signed up. Unlike the other people who have recently started with us, she wants just one print first, and the others to follow. That's six!

July 25

Made a trip to Sekaido in the morning, to get supplies for making the folders for Semi Maru. They had enough to make 20, so I bought it all, lugged it home, and made up the folders. I've got a system for it now, and it goes quickly and smoothly, and the resulting folders are better made than before.

The 20 prints from yesterday have dried OK. The colours all seem pretty much in the right vein, but the black is not really satisfactory. (My standards are definitely changing. These are way better than the Tenji Tenno prints that I have already sent out!). Instead of clean, thin lines, all the blacks seem blurred and muddy. It's obviously going to be a problem getting a good strong black on the kimono, without blurring all the other lines on the print. These may be OK, but I'll try some more next weeekend ...

Just before Michiyo went off to do her 'nurse' act at the pool for the day, a Mr. Katagiri from Shizuoka prefecture phoned and signed up. Seven! He's going to start with Tenji Tenno, and go from there, month by month. The other recent customers have asked to be brought up to date, right at the beginning. As I get further along, this will probably become more common, so we will eventually have a constant mix of prints going out each month.

At ten in the evening, Mr. Moriwake phoned back. He's the person in Kurashiki, who called a week or so ago. He wants to start up, with all four. Eight! He apparently works in the local city hall, and said that a number of the people there had expressed an interest. He asked us to send out some kind of sample, so that he could pass it around for them to inspect. I simply bundled up another set or four prints for him to use, and sent it off. I presume it will come back at some point, or else be kept by a future new customer. The only problem with all this, is that his phone call came at 10:00 in the evening, he wanted the stuff as soon as possible, I had no folder labels printed for Semi Maru, no cardboard shipping folders cut, and tomorrow morning is English preparation! We got it all done at about 1:30. In the morning, I'll send them by post.

This coming few days of English classes is going to be the end before summer vacation - and if we get enough print customers - the end, period!