Water, Fish, Stone: Three Japanese Printmaking Traditions for the Classroom

How to say it: Gyotaku — gyoh-TAH-koo.  The “g” is soft, like in “go.”

Gyotaku shares roots with other Asian cultures. Yuta, a similar art form, originates in China. In Korea it is known as eotaku. Throughout Asia, fish represent strength, prosperity and harmony, with each country having their own style of fish prints that might include text, landscape, or scientific records. The region has an abundance of fish to choose from and a wide selection of papers suitable for printmaking. 

It is believed that in the mid 1800s, prior to the widespread use of cameras, Japanese fishermen first started making gyotaku in order to make a record of what they caught before preparing it for a meal.

Eventually, gyotaku was popularized as an art form. As it spread to other countries, artists started using colour as well as the traditional black sumi-ink. 

How to say it: Suminagashi — soo-mee-nah-GAH-shee.  Five syllables – take it one step at a time: soo…mee…nah…GAH…shee

This art form that became suminagashi originated over 2,000 years ago in China and was practiced by Japanese Shinto priests as early as the 12th century. In Japan, suminagashi is one of the oldest forms of paper marbling. It is created by floating ink on the surface of water and then laying paper on the water so that the ink image is captured on the paper.

Later, it developed into an art form, becoming popular among the Japanese royal court, who used it to design paper and fabric with delicate, intricate patterns. It is historically seen with poems and writing and reflects the rhythm of nature and creation. Japanese practitioners see suminagashi as more than ink on water. They see it as an expression of emotions and harmony with nature.

Over time, paper marbling became popular in Europe. Artists developed ways of creating more intricate patterns by using their breath and different tools to manipulate the ink and water.

Today, with simple tools, you can make your own suminagashi, only needing water, ink, and paper or fabric.

How to say it: Takuhon — TAH-koo-hohn.

Takuhon (拓本)  is a traditional East Asian rubbing process used as a way to record inscriptions, carvings, and textured surfaces onto paper. The technique is called takuzuri in China and originated during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). It was later introduced to Japan during the Nara period (710–794 CE) through cultural exchange with China. In Japan, takuhon became an important method for documenting and preserving Buddhist inscriptions, temple records, calligraphy, and items from nature that might have otherwise eroded over time.

The process of creating a takuhon print involves placing washi (Japanese paper) over stone, wood, metal, or other suitable textured surfaces. Ink, graphite, or charcoal is then gently rubbed or dabbed across the surface to reveal an image of what is beneath. In Japan, takuhon continues today as both a cultural practice and a contemporary art form. It encourages close observation, the use of touch, an awareness of texture and builds an understanding of history through direct physical contact with materials.

In Japan, people use the technique of takuhon to make rubbings of inscriptions or poems from their family gravestones. The process is a tactile and personal way of connecting with family, history, and memory.