Mountain Cherry and Japanese woodblock printmaking

In the West the most famous examples of Japanese woodblock prints are the masterpieces of ukiyo-e, “Pictures of the Floating World" from late Edo-period (1600-1868). A lot of research has been made on the artists who designed these refined prints, but the method used in their production was quite unknown until about 20 years back. Starting from the 1990’s Japanese non-toxic and water-based woodblock printing technique, mokuhanga, started to gain attention among non-Japanese artists. While the interest in Japanese woodblock printing methods has increased internationally, in Japan the continuance of ukiyo-e print tradition is threatened by lack of successors. Today there are less than 70 professional craftsmen left in Japan preserving the valued ukiyo-e carving and printing skills. Although the union of ukiyo-e craftsmen gets acknowledgement and financial support from the Japanese government, young people have no interest and patience in training themselves in this very demanding craft. But even if the ukiyo-e craft would suddenly become popular among the young it is already difficult to find traditional materials for doing it.  Especially Mountain Cherry, the essential wood material for making the printing blocks, has now almost completely disappeared from the market.

Hiroshige: Arashiyama in cherry blossom time

Mountain Cherry as printing block material

Until the end of 19^th century cherry was the main wood material in all Japanese print production from black and white storybooks and advertisements to collector’s multi-coloured picture sheets. From all cherry species the mountain cherry was considered to be the best block material. Old written records (1912) by professional block makers reveal that especially boards coming from Izu and Nikko were the most appreciated material in late Edo-Meiji-period.

Cherry tree belongs to the Rose family, which includes nearly 3000 different sub-species of flowering plants. Prunus serrulata, sometimes called as Hill Cherry, Oriental Cherry or East Asian Cherry, is a species of cherry native to Japan, Korea and China. Mountain Cherry, called yamazakura in Japan, can be identified by its pure white flowers which come out simultaneously with foliage in spring. Someiyoshino and other cultured decorative cherry trees have leaves only after losing their flowers. In natural conditions yamazakura can grow over 20 meters in height and to one meter in circumference. It has a straight trunk where the branches develop higher than with the other cherry species. This feature makes it possible to gain long and even-quality printing boards from the trunk. The wood has straight grain, tight density and quite inconspicuous growth rings. The hard and even quality of yamazakura enables the carving of extremely minute details and lines on the printing block. The durability of the block surface is also a great advantage when making large print editions.

Preparing the cherry wood for printmaking blocks takes time and attention. Ukiyo-e craftsmen are particulary strict about the surface structure and the direction of the wood grain when they are choosing their wood material. Large blocks cannot be constructed by gluing together two or more separate boards, because the joint would show in the print and eventually crack during the wetting and heavy printing process.

Maximum size of the printing blocks for sale is determined by the size of the yamazakura tree trunks in production. To prevent strong warping the sliced boards are left to dry for several years (traditionally for 10 years) after cutting down the tree.

Difficulty to find proper mountain cherry wood has given birth to invention of cherry plywood. It has already replaced full-wood blocks in most traditional print workshops. Cherry plywood for ukiyo-e print production is made by gluing c. 4 mm thick sheet of yamazakura on both sides of shina-veneer. The yamazakura sheets come from old disposed printing blocks. The carved image on the surface of the block is planed away to reveal the untouched wood inside. Old antique blocks, especially ukiyo-e keyblocks, are never used in plywood production. They have great historical and cultural value and thus they are preserved in private and public collections. AIthough the cherry plywood blocks work well and are now commonly used in ukiyo-e workshops, they are not the final solution to the block material problem: in the long run, there will be no old blocks anymore to use for making the plywood.

The future of Japanese traditional ukiyo-e craft is closely connected to the availability of wild mountain cherry. The print production is continuing for the time being, thanks to the enthusiasm of devoted craftsmen and art lovers. Although this unique craftsmanship will eventually fade away one day, the beauty and excellence of yamazakura will still reside in ukiyo-e prints for future generations.

Tuula Moilanen
Full presentation on the subject can be found at http://worldwoodday.org/2015/ 
 

Sakura Gokujō Ita, “The Very Best Sakura Blocks”. Sales advertisement of block maker Minoya Matsuzo in Habashita Sugimachi. Woodblock print, Meiji-period (1868-1912). Published on the 5th month of the year (year not marked).  
 

Sales items are shown on the right as simplified line drawings. The blocks are depicted with hashibami, the supporting side strips. Text in the middle gives appraising information about the products. The selling prices of the blocks are marked as follows: Block for printing on hanshi-paper, 10 zen (c.2000 yen), for printing on Minoshi-paper, 13 zen (c.2500 yen), and for Yoncho-paper, 8 zen (c.1600 yen). The corresponding contemporary prices in yen are counted by comparing the price to a noodle cup price in 1904 (Meiji 37), which was 2 zen. Today (2014) the same cup of noodles costs about 400 yen. The price for hand-planed yamazakura printing block today (2015-16) is about 14000 yen  (thickness c. 23 mm, size c. 39 x 27 cm).

References

Arioka Toshiyuki: Sakura I and Sakura II (Mono to ningen no Bunkashi 137-I, 137-II). 2007, Hosei University Press, Tokyo 有岡利幸：桜I、桜II。(ものと人間の文化史137-I,137-II) 年 法政大学出版局

Hanga Geijutsu 124, Nihon no mokuhanga 100 nen. Article: Dentōteki mokuhan no dōgu-zairyō no ima. 2004, Abe publishing co., Tokyo 版画芸術124号、2004年。日本の木版画１００年。伝統的木版の道具材料の今

Ishii Kendo: Nishiki-e no hori to suri. 1929, Unsodo, Kyoto　石井研堂：錦絵の彫と摺。昭和４年、芸艸堂発行、京都

Kaneko Takaaki: Hanbon no hangi. Sono kihonteki kōzō (Physical Structure of Japanese Woodblocks for Printed Books). Art Documentation Kenkyu, no.17, 2010. 金子貴昭：版本の版木 — その基本的構造。2010年3月、アート・ドキュメンテーション学会、大阪

Kaneko Takaaki: ”Shokiken Bokuchifuku” no hangi. Art Research Journal vol.10, 2010. Ritsumeikan University Kyoto. 金子貴昭：「賞奇軒墨竹譜」の版木、Art Research vol.10, 2010年 立命館大学京都

Miyoshi Manabu: Sakura. 1938, Fuzanbo, Tokyo 三好学：桜。昭和13年 富山房、東京

Nodasaka Shinya: Ki wo erabu. Zōenjumoku-jiten. 2011, Apoc, Tokyo野田坂伸也：木を選ぶ。造園樹木事典。2011年、アポックス社、東京