Tokushi Katsuhira

Historical Background

Tokushi Katsuhira is a woodblock print artist who never left Akita and continued to depict the nature and customs of his hometown, Akita.  Katsuhira was born in 1904 as the eldest son of a paper-maker in Teppo-cho, Akita City (current Omachi 6-chome, Akita City). 

While working in the family business of papermaking and plastering, he also drew pictures and decided to become a printmaker after taking a wood engraving course. In 1921, he was attracted by a picture by Takehisa Yumeji and started to make ukiyoe prints. He taught himself to make ink-printed woodblock prints, which he submitted to the Akita Kai newspaper and published later that year. Around this time, Katsuhira learned woodcarving techniques from Goro Kimura, an engraver, and earned his living by making Akita customs dolls, Akita dogs, and other items while making woodblock prints. 

While helping out in the family business, he taught himself the three processes of woodblock printmaking: painting, engraving, and printing, and in 1928 developed his technique for creating vividly colored woodblock prints. In contrast to Ukiyoe prints, in which the three processes were carried out by the painter, engraver, and printer, Katsuhira's principle was to produce "creative woodblock prints," in which one person carried out the entire process.