2025 CWAJ September 17th General Meeting and Annual Print Show Kick-Off
Guest Lecture: Ukiyo-e's Influence on My Artwork
Guest Speaker: Hiratsuka Yuji
Summary
Hiratsuka Yuji, a print artist contributing to the CWAJ Print Show 35 consecutive times, mixes influences of East and West in his work. There is less of an emphasis on socio-cultural commentary and more of an emphasis on the placement and interplay of the visual effects. Mr. Hiratsuka plays with the metaphorical aspects of his subjects and their settings by portraying the irony, paradox, and satire in people’s daily lives. His images bear a slight resemblance to traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, which were frequently decorative, brightly colored, and featured highly stylized, exaggerated, and distorted figures, while also expressing contemporary aspects of the Western world. Mr. Hiratsuka will explain the unique technique of his multicolor intaglio (etching) printmaking process. The process begins with a deep etching printed on a sheet of Kozo (mulberry) paper in black, after which the plate is reclaimed and re-etched for subsequent printing in yellow, red, and blue. In addition, Mr. Hiratsuka often applies five or six extra layers of color as desired to enhance the image.
Background
Hiratsuka Yuji was born in Osaka, Japan, and received a bachelor’s degree in art education from Tokyo Teachers’ University in 1978. He taught art at several high schools and junior high schools in Osaka until he moved to the United States in 1985 to pursue graduate degrees in printmaking at New Mexico State University and Indiana University. He taught printmaking, book arts, and drawing at Oregon State University for the past three decades. His intaglio prints are in public collections including the British Museum, London, U.K.; State Museum of Oriental Arts, Moscow, Russia; Portland Art Museum, Oregon; Freer/Sackler, The Smithsonian’s Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.; The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Massachusettes; Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio; The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois; University of Oregon, Oregon; de Young Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, California.
Selected Works by Hiratsuka Yuji
Please note that this will be a HYBRID meeting both ONLINE (Zoom) and IN PERSON at the FCCJ (Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan) located on the 5th floor of the Marunouchi Nijubashi Building
The IN PERSON event at the FCCJ will be from 11:00 to 14:00 with the ability to mingle until 15:00 JST (Doors will open at 10:30)
The ONLINE Zoom meeting will be from 11:00 to 12:30 JST
In-person tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend securing your spot as soon as possible!
Further details about the venue and the zoom link will be provided in the registration confirmation email
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HOW TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
IN PERSON Attendance (RSVP by September 9th)
Please register as you normally would for a General Meeting; however, kindly note that this event will be held in a luncheon format. Lunch and drinks will be served following the meeting, so we ask that you select your preferred meal option (meat, fish, or vegetarian) during registration. The menu options are listed below for your reference:
LUNCHEON MENU
Meat Menu
Appetizer: Japanese Style Salad
Main: Grilled Pork with Barbeque Sauce
Bread
Dessert: Almond Tofu
Beverages: Coffee or Tea
Fish Menu
Appetizer: Japanese Style Salad
Main: Grilled Yellowtail with Tomato and Caper Sauce
Bread
Dessert: Almond Tofu
Beverages: Coffee or Tea
Vegetarian Menu
Appetizer: Japanese Style Salad
Main: Eggplant and Bulgur Moussaka with Tomato Sauce
Baguette or Rice-flour Bread
Dessert: Assorted Fruits
Beverages: Coffee or Tea
*If you have any food allergies, please notify us by contacting generalmeetingmanagers@cwaj.org before September 9th, 2025
Upon completing your registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing a payment link for this event. Please ensure that payment is made through the link provided in the email as soon as possible. Details of the ticket types and corresponding prices are listed below:
In Person Ticket Fee (Lunch Included) for Members: 7,000 yen
In Person Ticket Fee (Lunch Included) for Non-Members and Guests: 8,000 yen
(Not refundable after September 9th)
*If you encounter any difficulties with the online payment process, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance at generalmeetingmanagers@cwaj.org
ONLINE Attendance (RSVP by September 15th)
For Members, Non-members, and Guests RESIDING IN JAPAN:
Please register as you normally would for a General Meeting, however, please be aware that CWAJ charges a non-refundable Zoom fee for hybrid meetings, which helps cover the virtual operation costs, including IT support
Upon completing your registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing a payment link for this event. Please ensure that payment is made through the link provided in the email as soon as possible. Details of the ticket types and corresponding prices are listed below:
Online Ticket Fee for Members, Non-Members and Guests: 1,000 yen
For Members, Non-members, and Guests RESIDING OVERSEAS:
Please register as you normally would for a General Meeting
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*** Members wishing to invite guests: please share the registration link https://cw3saoj.wildapricot.org/event-6277149 with your guests and kindly ask them to complete their registration or contact the General Meeting Managers (generalmeetingmanagers@cwaj.org)
*** Please check that your Zoom log-in name is displayed in alphabet, at least a day in advance. Kindly login a few minutes early on the event day, so that the meeting can start promptly on time.
Contact: generalmeetingmanagers@cwaj.org
General Meeting Team
Director: Shigeko Nagaoka
Program Coordinator: Ko Iwata
Meeting Manager: Joan Rodgers Doi and Rina Jiang
Zoom and WA Support: Rina Jiang and Rumi Nagashima
