Don't miss the last page - a very rare shot of me together with Shintaro Shimano, the very last craftsman making the blank woodblocks for our work. He passed away in 1998, and I received from his widow a very special present - his 'workbench' ... the thick slab of wood that you see on the floor in front of him here in this photo.

And hanging on the pillar past his head is the nameplate (carved in wood): 東京木版画工芸組合員 ... "Member of the Tokyo Woodblock Print Crafts Association". I have the same one in my Ome workroom ...