Introduction | A Record of Walking Through Two Times: Cameras and Ukiyo-e

In this note, I record the activities I have continued along two axes:
cameras and Ukiyo-e.

I started photography in earnest when I was 48.
Until then, I had no special hobbies and just spent my days, but
after taking a picture of a swan one day,
I began walking all over Japan with my camera.

Not just tourist spots, but
the outskirts of towns, the morning air, and casual scenery.
Wanting to preserve the feeling of "having stood here,"
I continue to take photos and videos.

On the other hand, my Ukiyo-e activities have been ongoing for a little longer, about 6 years.

Based on public domain Ukiyo-e works housed in museums around the world,
I reconstruct them as
materials that can be used in modern design practice.

Rather than Ukiyo-e for art historical appreciation,

• flyers

• Web

• videos

• printed materials

and so on, I organize them as data premised on "being actually used."

The formats are mainly Adobe Illustrator (EPS) and high-resolution PNG.
I started this with the desire to preserve Japanese culture in a "form that is free, safe, and usable for practical work."

What you can read in this note

• In this note,

  • how I reconstruct Ukiyo-e

  • what perspective I use to incorporate them into modern design

  • what I have felt while walking through various places with my camera

I will summarize these things along with
the behind-the-scenes of production and the atmosphere at that time.

Whether you are interested in just one or both,
I would be happy if you read from the articles that catch your interest.

Also,
a collection of Ukiyo-e materials is published here.
(They are organized as data for practical use.)

▶ Ukiyo-e Material Collection

Cameras and Ukiyo-e.
Although they started at different times,
I feel they are the same in terms of "recording" and "preserving."

I hope this note will be an opportunity for you to see Japanese landscapes and culture from a slightly different angle.

[About the Ukiyo-e Used]
We are reconstructing the Japanese ukiyo-e culture left behind by our predecessors
as "living materials" used in modern production environments.

Based on ukiyo-e works whose copyrights have expired,
we create full vector data redrawn from scratch in Adobe Illustrator.
Regardless of size or ratio, they can be used for a wide range of purposes, including print, web, and video.
Moving ukiyo-e from something to be admired
to something used in modern design.
That is the philosophy of the ukiyo-e material specialty shop, KIMASA.


We reconstruct traditional Japanese ukiyo-e culture
as living design materials for use in today’s creative workflows.
Based on copyright-expired ukiyo-e works,
each design is redrawn from scratch as a full vector file using Adobe Illustrator.
These materials can be freely scaled and adapted for print, web, video,
and other modern design applications.
Ukiyo-e, not only to be admired,
but to function within contemporary design.
That is the philosophy of KIMASA,
a shop specializing in ukiyo-e design materials.


● About Material Sources and Licenses
This product uses ukiyo-e images released as public domain (CC0, etc.)
by museums and public archives around the world, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Smithsonian Institution.
For each work, we have verified the source and license conditions one by one,
and these are original design materials reconstructed (full-vectorized) for modern use based on those original images.
We have confirmed that there are no copyright issues with any of the materials,
so you can use them with peace of mind for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.
● Sources & License


This product uses ukiyo-e images released as
public domain (CC0 or equivalent) by museums and public archives worldwide,
including institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Smithsonian Institution.
Each source image and its license conditions have been individually verified.
Based on these materials, each work is reconstructed as an
original full-vector design, redrawn from scratch for practical modern use.
All materials have been carefully reviewed to ensure there are no copyright issues,
and they may be used safely for both commercial and non-commercial projects.