Since moving to Japan in 1986, I have made a 'nengajo' (New Year card) every year. Making a hand-made New Year card is a kind of hobby for many people in this country, and each year I look forward to seeing the interesting cards that will arrive on January 1st from friends and acquaintances. In recent years, many of these are made with the help of a handy little 'printing machine' that has become popular, but the tradition of making them from carved woodblocks hasn't completely died out.

For myself of course, being a woodblock printmaker by trade, there is no choice - I have to make mine with woodblocks! Some years I use a design of my own, and some years I 'crib' from a classical print or painting. I enjoy making them, even though I do usually get started a bit late each year ...

Here is a small 'exhibition' of the cards I have made in recent years. I hope you enjoy looking them over.

Note: In response to the many requests I received over the years to make these prints available to a wider audience, I have put a number of them into a Small Print Collection, available for purchase, and some of them are also in my Mokuhankan print shop.

(click on a thumbnail to see any print at natural size - 50~60K each)

From 1990 ~

From 2000 ~

From 2010 ~