![]() Despite the appeal of moveable type, however, it was soon decided that the running script style of Japanese writings would be better reproduced using woodblocks, and so woodblocks were once more adopted by 1640 they were once again being used for nearly all purposes. This document is the oldest work of Japanese moveable type printing extant today. An edition of the Confucian Analects was printed in 1598, using a Korean moveable type printing press, at the order of Emperor Go-Yōzei. Printing was not dominated by the shogunate at this point, however private printers appeared in Kyoto at the beginning of the 17th century, and Toyotomi Hideyori, Ieyasu's primary political opponent, aided in the development and spread of the medium as well. ![]() As shogun, Ieyasu would act to promote literacy and learning, leading to the beginnings of the emergence of an educated urban public. He oversaw the creation of 100,000 type-pieces, which were used to print a number of political and historical texts. Four years later, Tokugawa Ieyasu, even before becoming shogun, effected the creation of the first native moveable type, using wooden type-pieces rather than metal. Though the Jesuits operated a movable type printing press in Nagasaki from 1590, printing equipment brought back by Toyotomi Hideyoshi's army from Korea in 1593 had far greater influence on the development of the medium. This was the Setsuyō-shū, a two-volume Chinese-Japanese dictionary. It was not until 1590 that the first secular work would be printed in Japan. For centuries, printing was restricted only to the Buddhist sphere, as it was too expensive for mass production, and did not have a receptive, literate public to which such things might be marketed. These are the earliest examples of woodblock printing known, or documented, from Japan.īy the eleventh century, Buddhist temples in Japan were producing their own printed books of sutras, mandalas, and other Buddhist texts and images. These were distributed to temples around the country as thanksgiving for the suppression of the Emi Rebellion of 764. In 764 the Empress Shotuku commissioned one million small wooden pagodas, each containing a small woodblock scroll printed with a Buddhist text ( Hyakumanto Darani). Much lighter than western papers, washi is made using long kozo plant fibers which impart strength for dozens of color layers and provides a unique inner “glow” to the final print.Woodblock-printed books from Chinese Buddhist temples were seen in Japan as early as the eighth century. Printed on Japanese Washi paper While not specifically required, Japanese washi is designed to be perfect for mokuhanga.By using the baren, the printer is able to vary pressure on the fly, allowing for unique printed effects and variations. Mokuhanga instead uses a unique rubbing disk called a baren where pressure is applied across the block using the printer’s own hand pressure. Pressed by hand with Baren Western prints usually require a very large printing press to pull even, consistent, prints.This allows for painterly effects, textures and curved gradations that would be impossible with a brayer. Ink applied with Brush Instead of using a brayer to apply ink, in mokuhanga, ink is mixed directly on the block with rice starch using a wide brush.Water based pigments can also be easily cleaned without the use of solvents. ![]() Water Based Inks Unlike the oil based inks generally used in other relief print methods, mokuhanga uses water based pigments which have a unique soft glow similar to watercolors. ![]() As use of this term is beginning to gain wider attention outside of Japan, I would like to pose a few points which I think sets the medium apart from other relief printmaking methods. More recently, this medium has begun to gain international popularity due to its non-toxic, natural materials which don’t require the use of a heavy printing press and are perfect for a home studio. The term Mokuhanga (Moku = wood, hanga = print) was used to describe the Japanese method of woodblock printing that was widely popular during the Edo Period (1603-1868) and the primary medium for Ukiyo-e. This year for Print Day In May I want to ask a simple question, what is Mokuhanga?
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