Adachi's Ukiyo-e: Enjoy Displaying and Enjoying Customer Interviews ~ Living with Ukiyo-e ~ "Spectacular! Welcoming you with 8 of Hokusai's Waterfalls"

In "Customer Interviews: Living with Ukiyo-e," we ask customers how they enjoy Adachi's ukiyo-e in their own homes.
This time we spoke with lighting designer Masanobu Takeishi. After purchasing an Adachi Woodcut prints at the exit sales of an exhibition last year, he began enjoying the series "Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province" by Hokusai . He spoke about his strong feelings for the work, how he displays it in his special custom-made frames, and his own hobbies and work. Please enjoy until the very end!

We spoke with Masanobu Takeishi (Chief Director and Lighting Director of ICE Urban Environment Lighting Research Institute) Born in Yokohama in 1959 1982 Graduated from Tama Art University, Department of Architecture 1983-89 Ushio Specs Co., Ltd. 1990-95 Chief Designer, Kaito Office Co., Ltd. 1996 Established ICE Urban Environmental Lighting Research Institute Ltd.

I was shocked by the colors of the reproduction I saw at the exit of the exhibition.

This time we visited the ICE Urban Environment Lighting Laboratory, where Takeishi-san is the director. As soon as we entered the entrance, we were greeted by our "Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province" exhibition.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with us today. I was able to see "Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province" straight away! I was very surprised to see it displayed at the entrance.

Takeishi: "Yes, I have it displayed in the entrance."

-Mr. Takeishi, the reason you came to Adachi Woodcut Prints' showroom was because of the exit sales at the Ukiyo-e exhibition.

Takeishi: "Yes. I stopped by Adachi Woodblock Prints' shop, which was set up in the merchandise area of the "All Hokusai" exhibition held at Roppongi Midtown last year. I was naturally impressed by the splendor of the original works on display at the exhibition, but I also remember being taken aback when I saw the colors of the reproductions and thinking, 'People back then enjoyed such vivid colors!'"

-I'm glad to hear that. I heard that you also purchased a piece at the venue, but which piece was it?

Takeishi: "I bought Hokusai's 'The Lone Fisherman at Kajikazawa.' I'm sure there are many reasons for purchasing a work of art, but I particularly love the colors of woodblock prints. I was surprised by the clear, vivid colors. I've always loved blue and indigo, so I thought I'd display this work, which has a wonderful expression of indigo printing! I still enjoy looking at it every day at home."

-The lighting at Sumida Aquarium, which you designed, is also impressive, with the blue that seems to envelop the entire building.

Takeishi: "At work, I of course work on lighting to suit the location, but I tend to use blue light more often. Blue is used to represent night in stage plays and movies, and it's a color that's surprisingly familiar to us in our everyday lives. Personally, I prefer quiet things, so I like the color blue. Even the logo on our company's business cards is indigo blue."

- Many of Hokusai's ukiyo-e prints have an indigo blue theme. Were you always a fan of ukiyo-e?

Takeishi: "Yes, as a Japanese person, I was interested in it. I went to the Sumida Hokusai Museum and spoke to ukiyo-e collectors. I also gave Hokusai's "Blossoming Irises and Grasshopper" and "Wisteria and Wagtail" that I bought at Adachi Woodblock Prints as gifts to friends."

-Thank you for using it as a gift! So what made you become interested in "Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province"?

Takeishi: "I love waterfalls and lakes more than the sea. So, while looking at various ukiyo-e prints at art museums and Adachi Woodblock Prints' reproductions, I came across this series of eight prints and began researching them."

-What did you think when you actually saw the reproduction version in the showroom?

Takeishi: "The first thing that impressed me was the depiction of water. None of the eight illustrations have the same depiction of water. None of them are expressions I've ever seen in Western paintings, and I think they contain elements that could be the roots of modern manga and graphic design."

A specially ordered frame showing all 8 images

When asked which of the eight pieces was his favorite, he struggled to choose, before answering, "All eight."

Takeishi: "I like seeing all eight of them together the most. By having all eight of them lined up, you can see how different the way water is depicted in each piece is!"

It is clear that there is a strong emotional attachment to viewing all eight works together. After consulting with the staff at the showroom, we decided on custom frames that can hold four of the works at a time.

He also chose a dark blue shaft color, which is his favorite shade of blue. Adachi Woodcut Prints offers custom-made frames that allow you to choose the shaft shape, color, and size. Like Takeishi, we recommend that you make your decision by looking at samples in our showroom.

-Did you decide the order in which the works were displayed yourself?

Takeishi: "I decided on the design by lining up the actual pieces on a table and checking the balance."

-When people purchase a set, they often enjoy swapping out the pieces, so up until now we haven't had many orders for frames that show the entire picture like this. For us, this was a very helpful suggestion for a new way to display the pieces.

Takeishi: "It would be a lot of work to bring out each painting every time a customer came, and because 'Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province' doesn't depict anything specific to a season, like snow or flowers, it can be displayed all year round. That was one of the reasons we decided to frame it this way.
Also, even if you wanted to display "Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji" (46 paintings in total) or "Fifty-three Stations on the Tokaido" (55 paintings in total) all at once, it would be quite difficult unless the room was very spacious, as there are so many of them. (Laughs) I thought that if there were eight paintings like "Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province," it would be possible to display them in this way, so I asked for advice.

-Did you decide in advance where to display them?

Takeishi: "It was quite a difficult decision. Because of the nature of my work, I often use wall surfaces to conduct lighting experiments, so the places I could display it were limited. I considered displaying it in the reception room, but I wanted a place where I could see it every day, so I decided on the entrance."

At this point, Takeishi and I move to the entrance where the works are on display.

- We don't usually have the opportunity to see all eight illustrations lined up together, so it's truly impressive. The sense of pace in the work, which can only be appreciated by watching the whole series, is really conveyed!

Takeishi: "They're truly magnificent! The four pieces on the top row feature the majestic flow of water, while the four on the bottom row feature calm water, but the depictions of the local scenery and people are fascinating. Hokusai's ideas are truly amazing, as he created such a wide range of works, from tourist spots to the great outdoors, just on the theme of waterfalls. I'm very satisfied."

As he spoke enthusiastically while looking at the works, it was clear that Takeishi truly enjoys this series, and the conversation flowed smoothly.

-There are a lot of visitors, so have you received any feedback from them?

Takeishi: " When people come to meetings, I talk to them while looking at these paintings. The one that gets the best response is 'Aoigaoka Waterfall in the Eastern Capitals,' which depicts this reservoir. Everyone is surprised when I tell them that it used to be located in the area of present-day Akasaka."

-I see! In the "Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province" series, the dynamic "Kirifuri Waterfall at Mt.Kurokami in Shimotsuke Province" and "The Amida Falls in the Far Reaches of the Kisokaido Road" have been the biggest hits, so I was a little surprised.

Takeishi: "It's the smallest waterfall in the series, but since many people live in Tokyo, I think the scenery is completely different from what we see today and is refreshing. As the title suggests, there's something great about being able to see the scenery of many different waterfalls in one go."

-This may be exactly the kind of fun people enjoyed back in the Edo period.

Takeishi's lighting design is reminiscent of Hokusai

During the interview, Takeishi-san also assisted with adjusting the lighting and adjusting the light. Looking at the lighting illuminating the artwork, we see that it is a regular ceiling light with a reflector attached.

-Did you install this reflector yourself?

Takeishi: "That's right. I couldn't change the lighting itself, so I used the lighting that was installed in the house from the beginning. I installed a board so that this light would fall on the painting."

During the photo shoot, Takeishi also assisted with the lighting and adjustments. Looking at the lighting illuminating the artworks, we see that it is a regular ceiling light with a reflector installed. The staff were impressed by the ingenuity that only a lighting designer like Takeishi could come up with to make the artworks look even more beautiful. In fact, the idea for framing each of the four artworks was apparently inspired by something related to his work.

Takeishi: "When I receive an award for work, I frame and display all the certificates I received in the same year so that I can easily tell when I received them. I've been doing this for a while, so I thought I could use this method to frame 'Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province' as well."

In addition to these certificates and trophies, the laboratory is also home to lighting fixtures that he has created and contemporary art that he has collected himself.

This lighting fixture was made by Takeishi over 20 years ago. It has switches that light up each of the three primary colors, allowing you to change the color depending on your mood.

The shop also displays glass crafts collected from all over the world, including Toyama Prefecture and the UK. Apparently, you can even visit the workshop to see the crafts being made.

-You incorporate a wide variety of items from all over the world, from art pieces to folk crafts, across all genres, and I can feel your strong curiosity and free-spirited imagination.

Takeishi: "No, no, I'm usually spaced out. (laughs) But it's fun to get hold of things that catch my eye, and keep them close to me as a display or to use them."

As the staff listened with great interest to his talk about lighting, he also spoke about the lighting he had made himself.

Takeishi: "The light fixture on the far left is the first one I've made in my ongoing series of lighting fixtures for Hoshino Resorts. Ordinary lanterns light up the entire room, so even if you place it in the corner, that corner will end up being the brightest spot in the room. I wanted the lantern to illuminate the entire room while still giving the lantern a subdued feel. That's why, on the side that people can see, I used materials such as local textiles to block out the light, taking into account the characteristics of the region where the facility is located, and focused the light at the back."

-To create a comfortable space, your job requires a wide range of knowledge about techniques and materials other than lighting fixtures.

Takeishi: "Due to the nature of my job, I have to constantly adopt new technologies. Every day, I learn the advantages and disadvantages of each technology and material through trial and error, saying, 'Oh, so that's possible, let's try it out.'"

Takeishi: "I like being exposed to the latest things like that, but it seems like things are changing incredibly quickly, especially now. For example, with music, records used to become CDs, and CDs are now distributed as data. The same can be said for the change from film cameras to digital cameras. Over the past 150 years or so, our lifestyles have changed dramatically due to electrification. In terms of generations, that's about three generations.

Although it is a slower change than these rapid changes, lighting is also steadily changing. LED lights have become widely available, and incandescent light bulbs, which were once mainstream, are now rare. But in this way, records, silver halide photographs, and incandescent light bulbs are being rediscovered as something more than just convenient, with new charm and value being discovered. I quite like things like this that allow you to feel the history of technology.

Takeishi's attitude of cherishing old things while actively incorporating new techniques seems to be similar to that of Hokusai, who researched various painting techniques both in Japan and abroad and continued to produce masterpieces.Finally, Takeishi spoke about the appeal of ukiyo-e reproductions.

Takeishi: "The multi-color printing technique for ukiyo-e prints was revolutionary even by global standards when it was first developed. In modern times, machine printing has become mainstream, but even today, the handiwork of artisans is still being passed down. I think it's wonderful to be able to enjoy Hokusai's "Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province" at hand, just as it was in the Edo period.

Also, if you have a one-of-a-kind piece of art, like an oil painting, the price can be extremely high, and you can become too emotionally attached to the piece. Reproduction prints are convenient, in a good way. I think it's great that they can be printed in large quantities and enjoyed by a wide range of people. "

Takeishi-san spoke about his deep feelings for "Tour of Waterfalls in Various Province" and the charm of ukiyo-e prints, while also sharing stories of his own experiences and work. The staff were so engrossed in listening to Takeishi-san's story about his work that he said, "I never thought he'd talk so much about his own lighting (laughs)." Thank you so much for your cooperation!