Conservation Through Innovation

The history of the art of printing in Japan is long and fascinating. Some of the world’s oldest extant printed works were produced in Japan at the behest of the Empress Shōtoku in the eighth century. Movable type and copperplate printing were introduced in the late sixteenth century, the former almost simultaneously from Europe and Korea. The Edo period (1603-1868) saw the birth and flourishing of multi-colour woodblock prints known as nishiki-e (brocade pictures) or ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) and commercial book culture. The popularisation of other printing methods including lithography followed in the Meiji period (1868-1912), when international trade treaties allowed foreign printing methods to enter Japan. In the Taishō (1912-1926) and Shōwa (1926-1989) periods, the Shin-Hanga and Sōsaku-Hanga woodblock print movements ensured the continued popularity of ukiyo-e and woodblock print culture. However, the rising costs of materials and the time required to produce woodblock prints have resulted in a sharp decline in the number of woodblock cutters and printers in the Heisei (1989-2019) and Reiwa (2019-) periods. This decline coincides with the problem of the aging population and the related rise in the number of abandoned buildings, especially in rural areas.

Naka Town, located in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, is one area that has been significantly affected by Japan’s population problem. With your help, we hope to transform an abandoned sake brewery located deep in the Naka countryside into Dekoboko Press, a studio and short-term residence for artists and craftspeople involved in printing, whether lithographic, movable type, woodblock, copperplate, 3D, or another form. We hope that residents will seize the opportunity to collaborate, learn about different printing techniques, and use traditional local materials like washi (Japanese paper) and aizome (indigo dye) in the prints they create. Residents will have access to a reference library of books on printing in Japanese and English, a communal living area, various studio and exhibition spaces, a shared kitchen, a small public bath, and other facilities. The Keeper of the Press will arrange activities, exhibitions, and acquaint artists with the machines and tools available. Residents will be able to explore the nearby shrines, forests, waterfalls, and rivers, and visit attractions including an onsen hotel, the Kawaguchi Dam Energy Museum (featuring a permanent TeamLab exhibition), a woodblock print museum, and a wooden toy museum, all of which are within walking distance of the Press (the last bus stop is on our doorstep!). The closest temple on Shikoku’s 88 Temple Pilgrimage is a 20-minute drive and a short trip up the ropeway, and the nearest beach is a 30-minute drive.