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Bran-new woodblock prints are all handmade and delivered directly from Japan

Natural Japanese style tatami mat becomes a picture frame of Ukiyo-e

We have developed a completely new natural Japanese-style tatami frame.
In collaboration with modern tatami craftsmen, we use real materials to make tatami mats.
A magnetic sandwich is used to fix the ukiyo-e print so as not to damage the tatami mat.
It can be used for all our small and medium-sized ukiyo-e.
This is a new proposal product that is a collaboration of the Japanese style ukiyoe and our tatami frames!

A new era of legacy drawn by traditional woodblocks

The Imperial Palace Double Bridge gives people a landscape that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years.
It has become a staple of school trips and sightseeing in Tokyo, and in recent years overseas
It is a famous tourist spot for tourists. In addition, the beauty of the stone walls and stone bridges is world-class. It is a work of art and a landscape that represents Japan.
With the traditional technique that continues from Ukiyo-e, the landscape is I made a woodblock print precisely. In addition to various techniques for faithful reproduction
A design that marks the footsteps of the Reiwa era has also been added.
It is a traditional woodblock print of the new era.

Imperial Palace Double Bridge

Traditional woodcut goes to the fantasy world

In the clear cool air, the street corner shines brightly
illumination.
The light leaking from the show window and the light from the neon signs add light to the illuminated trees.
A romantic snowy night in Sapporo, with severe cold
This is what I tried to express with a traditional woodcut.

Sapporo illuminations night view

World Wood Day2017 – Los Angeles

We recently had the pleasure to got invited by the IWCS (International Wood Culture Society) to show our work live at the World Wood Day 2017 in Los Angeles.
After the event was done, they provided a detailed video what we would like to show you.

For further information, please klick here.

Traditional woodcut prints equivalent to Ukiyo-e, although small

Because it is small, you can use woodblock prints as greeting cards!
Even with a frame attached, it looks good.
Now we also have a compact series of products.
Traditional technique that continues from Ukiyo-e!
although small and completely handmade.
The design is Ukiyo woodcut original. There are no other similar products.
Cause of the small size, we were able to make a very reasonable price for such high quality!

Mt. Fuji 2020, Oasis 21 & TV tower, The Nagoya Castle, The Atsuta Shrine, Juman-Tsubo Plain at Susaki, Fukagawa

Welcome to modern times Ukiyo-e at Nihonbashi !

A long time ago when Tokyo was called Edo,
Nihonbashi was a center of Edo.
Many Ukiyo-e artists such as Hiroshige, Hokusai, Hasui have made Nihonbashi a subject for woodblock print (Ukiyo-e). But, in these latter days, it was covered with steel reinforced concrete.
Tatuharu drew a picture of the real Nihonbashi that found artistry in such a scenery. And, His design become the modern times Ukiyo-e through Shokunins (Super Technicians) taking over traditional woodblock print technic since Edo period.

Nihonbashi Night View

Introducing the first produce of Ukiyomokuhan !!

Our first produce is "Stair Lane on Route 339 in Tugaru Tappizaki"
designed by Okamoto Tatuharu, digital woodblock artist.
Here is Tappizaki in Tugaru located at the north end of Honshuu
island in Japan. The Route 339 at the cape of Tappizaki have
unique sightseeing place which have a stair lane impassable
for vehicles even though National highway.
The sunset is represented very beautifully using Japanese
traditional technic of woodblock print.
It also have a nostalgic feeling which makes you remember
the old memory when you are child.

Stair Lane on Route 339 in Tugaru Tappizaki

The 2nd NEW product is the Beach you have never seen before in woodblock print

Lively White Beach at Shirarahama in Kishuu Heisei famous views

This is the 2nd NEW product produced by Ukiyomokuhan.
Here is Shirarahama beach in Wakayama prefecture in Japan.
This is one of the works in Kisuu series drown by Tatuharu Okamoto,
"Lively White Beach at Shirarahama in Kishuu Heisei famous views".
A lot of beach umbrellas are represented very detail and delicate carving, of course, 100% hand making.
The gold and platinum powders are used to represent sand situation on the white beach, that is a special technic of Shokunin.
This is the ambitious new woodblock print you never seen before.

Lively White Beach at Shirarahama in Kishuu Heisei famous views

"Ukiyo-e has dreams"

Ukiyo-e: A Traditional Japanese Craft and Its Evolution

Ukiyo-e is world-renowned as a representative art form of Japan, but it is also one of Japan’s traditional crafts, created entirely by the hands of skilled carvers and printers.

Its origins date back to 1760 in the Edo period when Suzuki Harunobu pioneered the technique. Before this, woodblock prints were only in black and white. However, with the invention of the kentō (registration marks) technique, multi-color printing became possible, making ukiyo-e the world’s first full-color printing method.

According to one theory, this innovation was inspired by none other than Hiraga Gennai.

For approximately 100 years afterward, ukiyo-e remained the only full-color printing method in the world, playing a vital role in newspapers, magazines, photographs, and advertisements. It enriched the streets of Edo and led to the rise of media moguls such as Tsutaya Jūzaburō.

During the Meiji period, a large number of ukiyo-e prints were exported overseas. Foreigners were astounded and captivated by this unique, highly sophisticated, and beautiful printing technique. This fascination ultimately led to Japonisme, a movement that greatly influenced Western art.

However, with the advancement of photography and mechanical printing in the West, ukiyo-e gradually lost its status as a primary media tool and faced inevitable decline. Nonetheless, its artistic value increased, leading to the emergence of Shin-hanga (new prints) during the Meiji and Taishō eras, with artists like Kawase Hasui gaining prominence.

As mechanical printing and photographic printing became widely available in color, and more recently, as digital color printing became mainstream, ukiyo-e's position as a color printing method has become even more challenging.

Yet, ukiyo-e possesses a unique color expression unlike that of photography or mechanical printing. Because the pigments penetrate deep into the washi (traditional Japanese paper) through multi-color woodblock printing, it creates a distinct and unparalleled vibrancy. The designs, too, play a crucial role in achieving this unique artistic expression.

Ukiyo-e design itself is a technique developed to accommodate multi-color woodblock printing, something that only artists with exceptional talent could achieve in an era without photography or computers.

However, with modern advancements in photography and digital image processing, the barriers to ukiyo-e-style design have been lowered. By incorporating cutting-edge technology, we have made it possible to transform photographs into precise ukiyo-e designs.

Ukiyo-e is not just an art form of the Edo period—it remains an evolving, handmade printing art unique to Japan.

Having once struggled against photography and digital imaging, ukiyo-e now stands on their foundation to ignite a design revolution. By continuously producing modern ukiyo-e with innovative designs, we aim to astonish and move people with its beauty and meticulous craftsmanship.

March 2025
Ukiyo Mokuhan
Shōji Kawasaki