On May 6, 2026, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum held a special lecture (photo) by Shoichiro Watanabe, president of Watanabe Woodcut Print Co., one of the oldest and most reputable publishers of shin-hanga “new print” Ukiyo-e works. The event was held in conjunction with TFAM’s ongoing “The Reviving Spirit of Ukiyo-e—From the Meiji Era Kaika-e to Shin-hanga” exhibition. More than 100 people attended the lecture.
Watanabe Woodcut Print was founded by Japanese print publisher Shozaburo Watanabe at the turn of the 20th century, who was instrumental in the resurgence of the Ukiyo-e genre through the shin-hanga movement. Drawing on rare documents and behind-the-scenes anecdotes, the lecture introduced how shin-hanga was created and how its printing and woodcutting process, division of labor and other measures led to numerous innovations.
