Hokusai and the Producers, from Tsutaya Juzaburo to Today

Hokusai and the Producers, from Tsutaya Juzaburo to Today, is on show at the Sumida Hokusai Museum until May 25. It will be held in two terms, with a number of like-for-like substitutions being made for the second term. The first term runs until April 20, the second from April 22 to May 25.

The exhibition highlights the role of the ukiyo-e producer, the hanmoto, whose skill and acumen enabled Edo-era woodblock print artists such as Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) to thrive. The term hanmoto is formed from han (板), meaning the wooden board that was carved to produce woodblock prints, and moto (元), which means place. The hanmoto was a producer - an enabler who brought the skill and vision of the artist to the marketplace.

The contribution of the Edo-era artist towards a woodblock print was largely confined to the illustration. From there, the hanmoto was responsible for providing the woodblock carvers and printers, a retail outlet, and additional distribution. A successful hanmoto, however, was also adept at marketing. In order to achieve financial success for artist, producer and supporting staff, the hanmoto needed to be able to both recognize prevailing trends and develop plans for expanding sales.

The Printing Process

The exhibition also details the print making process itself, displaying the hand tools required, and the stages of printing. Utilizing the well-known Hokusai print Fine wind, Clear morning, also known as Red Fuji, from the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, the seven individual printing stages that were required to produce the print are shown.

1. Printing the outlines on the key block in indigo blue

2. Printing the surface of a mountain in red

3. Printing the summit of a mountain in dark brown

4. Printing the foot of a mountain in green

5. Printing the ridge of a mountain in light blue gradation

6. Printing the sky in bright blue

7. Finishing the print after making the gradation in dark blue for the top of the sky.

*The seven printing stages of Fine wind, Clear morning. The Sumida Hokusai Museum.*

Tsutaya Juzaburo, the Virtuoso Hanmoto

The most famous of the Edo era hanmoto was Tsutaya Juzaburo, who was born ten years prior to Hokusai in 1750. He initially opened a bookstore adjacent to the Shin Yoshiwara red light district before relocating to Nihonbashi in central Tokyo. He died in 1797. Tsutaya was a supporter of Hokusai but his preference was for the artwork of Kitagawa Utamaro and Toshusai Sharaku.

Tsutaya was succeeded by his top employee, who was adopted into the Tsutaya family and changed his name to Tsutaya Juzaburo II. It was under the tutorship of Tsutaya Juzaburo II that Hokusai's career with Tustaya publishing flourished. Tsutaya Juzaburo II died in 1833 when Hokusai was 73.

A further skill of hanmoto was in judging how far they could push the patience of the authorities, and at times they got it wrong. In 1830, Fuji no Karamono (1770-1844), the author of a book titled Shanty Songs and Chinese Verse (No 51) wrote an essay on the inspirations for his book. After reading it, Tsutaya Juzaburo II created a publication in which he contracted Hokusai to draw pictures of beautiful women to accompany each song. The book infringed upon the Shogun's ban on shunga (erotic art) leading to the temporary arrest of Tsutaya's chief clerk.

*Katsushika Hokusai, Shanty Songs and Chinese Verse, 1802. The Sumida Hokusai Museum (all terms)*

Expanding the Range of Genres

Hokusai worked with a multitude of hanmoto during his career. His most notable artistic achievement, Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, was produced by Nishimura III of the Nishimura publishing dynasty. The series was groundbreaking in that until then, the most marketable subject matter was pictures of actors and beautiful women. Nishimura III, however, recognized a trend in Fuji-ko, groups worshiping Mount Fuji. He gambled on whether a landscape series could have commercial appeal and won. The series elevated pictures of famous places to a major new genre in ukiyo-e.

Contemporary Interpretations of Edo-era Masterpieces

The final section of the exhibition depicts the work of contemporary artists who have created ukiyo-e art that reinterprets Hokusai masterpieces. It demonstrates that both the woodblock printing process, and the influence of Hokusai, are alive and well. Rhythm, by Sato Tsunehisa, simplifies Hokusai's Rainstorm beneath the summit from Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. It is a striking creation of black, white and red.

In Goddess of the Sacred Mountain, Ebata Yoshiyuki depicts konohanasakuya-bime, a beautiful goddess from Japanese mythology associated with Mount Fuji. She is watching over horses playing at the mountain's base. The print is based on A Mild Breeze on a Fine Day, from Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.

*Ebata Yoshiyuki, Goddess of the Sacred Mountain from Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (all terms)*

Hokusai and the Producers is an informative exhibition that makes the complexity of woodblock production clear. In addition to the sales and marketing that artists universally require, the woodblock print artist needs the service of multiple specialists for their artwork to even reach the marketplace. The hanmoto with whom Hokusai worked throughout his career were highly skilled. They were key to his success and legacy.