Edutainment > Tomikichiro Tokuriki 1902-1999

Tomikichiro Tokuriki I

Japanese Prints - Home
Mt.Fuji and Cherry Blossoms at Tateho
copyright Tomikichiro Tokuriki

Tomikichiro Tokuriki was born into a family of Kyoto artists that can be traced back as far as the Keicho era (1596-1615). Friends of Japanese woodblock prints know his beautiful print designs in pastel colors. But few know about his real passion - sosaku hanga prints.

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Intensive Art Training

The first teacher of the young Tomikichiro was his grandfather. Later he entered the Kyoto School of Arts and Crafts with a two-year preparatory class and four years of regular training, and later a three year training at the Kyoto College of Art. He graduated from Kyoto College in 1923.

Passion for Sosaku Hanga

Tomikichiro Tokuriki II

Sosaku Hanga
Kamo-gawa no Yoi
copyright Tomikichiro Tokuriki

While still at college, the young artist discovered his passion for sosaku hanga prints - a movement that had spread from Tokyo to Kyoto. With the assistance of an old carver and an Ukiyo-e printer, Tomikichiro Tokuriki learned everything to master the complete process of design, carving and printing himself.

Later he joined the Hanga Association and met other artists of the sosaku hanga movement like Hiratsuka, Masao Maeda, Kihachiro Shimozawa, Hide Kawanishi and Shiko Munakata.

Two Artists in One

Tomikichiro Tokuriki III

Unichi Hiratsuka - Biography
Kozan-ji
copyright Tomikichiro Tokuriki

Tokuriki Tomikichiro produced two lines of prints. There were the sosaku hanga prints, meaning creative prints, which were his real passion. And then there was his bread and butter art - or maybe we should better call it his rice and tea art. Pastel-like prints in soft colors with scenes of Japanese landscape and famous places. It is hard to believe! These are the prints for which he is popular. And these Tomikichiro prints in shin hanga style are neither kitschy nor poorly made, but wonderful, solid designs in traditional Japanese style.

But let's speak the artist for himself:

"I'd rather do nothing but creative prints, but after all, I sell maybe ten of them against two hundred for a publisher-artisan print."

While the artist published his creative hanga-style prints himself, the artisan-prints were published by Uchida, Unsodo and other Kyoto publishers.

Tokuriki Tomikichiro was, by the way, also an avid collector of ancient ukiyo-e.

Traveling to the US and Europe

Tomikichiro Tokuriki IV

Hiroshi Yoshida - Biography
Sannjo Bridge
copyright Tomikichiro Tokuriki

Like so many Japanese artists of the twentieth century - Hasui Kawase or Hiroshi Yoshida for instance - also Tomikichiro Tokuriki went on extensive travels throughout Europe and the United States. In the sixties, he opened several exhibitions of his artworks in major US cities like Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. And of course, he used his trips abroad to make sketches.

Tomikichiro Tokuriki as a Teacher

Tokuriki Tomikichiro represented the thirteenth generation of artists in his family. He lived in a two hundred year old house, not far away from the Imperial Palace, with a large garden with cherry trees. For a safe income, the artist sold tea from a small shop adjacent to his house.

In the compound of his two hundred year old residence, he also had his studio where he worked and taught his students - among them many from overseas. Some of them became famous artists themselves like David Kelly or David Stones.

Tokuriki Tomikichiro used to say:

"Fate made me an artist, but I made myself a hanga artist."

Dieter Wanczura
(March 2002, updated June 2009)

Literature sources used for this Tomikichiro Tokuriki biography

• Helen Merritt and Nanako Yamada, "Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975", published by University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, ISBN 0-8248-1732-X
• Oliver Statler, "Modern Japanese Prints: An Art Reborn", C. Tuttle, Tokyo, 1956, ISBN No. is 0-8048-0406-0

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