Written on April 30, 1992 [Permalink]

April 21

So how's the 'new' lifestyle going? Fine. After three days of carving, the figure is done, and I'm ready to start the poem. If I can keep it up at this rate, I'll have no problems getting back on track. I'll have to stop to do some printing next week (the Akazome Emon [3-8] that I still haven't finished from last November), and I should take the chance to get out and start looking for a gallery for next next year. It's difficult to realize that I'm now able to get out and do things without having to think about the kids coming home from school ...

Got a call yesterday from a director for TV Tokyo. She came out today for a look around, and ended up staying for nearly four hours. She really seemed quite interested in what we're doing, and I think this may turn out to be a good program. It's scheduled for May 27th, and she wants to get Matsuzaki-san, Shimano-san, and probably one of the customers involved too.

April 27

There's been some contact with Furuichi-san, the TV Tokyo director, and she has set up for me to go to Tokyo next Thursday for a visit to Matsuzaki-san's place, and also ... (drum roll, please!) ... Ito-san's workshop. When we were talking last week, I had told her that visiting printers had been no problem, but that I had yet to have a 'satisfactory' visit with a carver. She has apparently arranged for Matsuzaki-san to take me over there (with the cameras rolling, no doubt) and 'introduce' us. We'll also be 'talking a walk' around Asakusa, probably visitng Hokusai's grave, etc. etc. Sounds like it might be an interesting show ...

Sumi block is just about finished. Went to Tokyo yesterday to pick up some more of that ultra-thin paper for hanshita making. I'll have to prepare an extra piece of wood with a design in case Ito-san wants something to carve on, as I don't want him working on my regular blocks (I want to do all 100 completely by myself).

April 28

Finished the sumi on Sanekata Ason [4-3], printed the transfer sheets, and stuck them down. There's actually going to be eight or nine colours on this one, which surprises me, as I had thought that it would be about half that. There's no way to get them all on one colour block, but as there's not really enough to justify using two blocks, I'll use the back of the sumi block this time. It's not really useful anyway, as one corner didn't get touched by Shimano san's planes ... For the past year or so now, I've been leaving the back of the sumi blocks completely untouched ... kind of an insurance in case I'm unable to get blocks for some reason.

April 29

Colour block carving in the morning, and with the kids at the river in the afternoon (it's a school holiday today).

April 30

TV day downtown ... 'on location' at the main temple in Asakusa, Hokusai's grave, Shunsho's grave, street scene outside Shimano san's place (all in pouring rain), Matsuzaki san's workshop, and finally Ito san's carving room. This last place was of course the highlight for me. It was interesting seeing Matsuzaki-san again, but there was nothing really new for me there - it was just a short 'interview', and then a few minutes of seeing him work on a Hiroshige print (this was just for the demo - he was really working on Xmas cards).

The session with Ito-san was much more productive. He started by asking to see some tools, and when when I brought out my knive, three aisuki chisels, and a couple of marunomi, he said, "Is that all?" It seems that he keeps quite a collection of stuff on hand all the time - at least four knives, (sharpened at various angles) about a dozen aisuki, and a whole drawer full of odds and ends chisels and tools. His knives are sharpened generally at more 'stubby' angles than mine. He is cutting very deeply, almost twice as deep as I am, and a knive sharpened my way would break instantly. (Anytime I've had a chance to see carved blocks, in Shimano san's place for example, they've always seemed about the same as mine, but this block he was working on today was carved incredibly deeply. I think it might be very difficult to print from, and maybe I shouldn't go too much by what I see during a demonstration. He said it was a 'jitsu-en hangi', and maybe it's not the usual way he carves. There wasn't a whole lot of chance to ask questions.)

He recommended that I make myself a pile of aisuki (from old sewing machine needles), and get some more knives and at least one more marunomi. The session was mostly talking for the camera, and then he carved a bunch of hairlines on an Utamaro design (exactly the same design and sample carving that I saw him do more than two years ago at the Arakawa 'shokunin' demonstrations. I guess he just follows the same routine for all demos). There was certainly no chance to get any idea of what his 'regular' work must be like, and when I asked about the possibility of coming back to watch sometime, he mumbled about 'being busy ...'. I guess he's afraid of being bugged with a million questions, and having his work completely disturbed. There's no way I could work either with somebody hanging around my neck, so I understand his concern, but I don't see any other way that his knowledge is going to get passed on. He's in his seventies. I'm in my forties. Isn't it more important that he spends time with me rather than simply making more endless copies of the same Utamaro and Hiroshige prints? I think so, but of course I can't say so out loud ...

In any case, it was a productive and interesting day. I think the TV people got what they wanted, and I'll get busy and make some tools as per his suggestions. Maybe in another two years I'll have a chance to see him work again ...