As mentioned in an earlier post, I went together with Horikitsune (Alex Reinke) to visit Horiyoshi III in Yokohama, Japan earlier this autumn. Our days were spent photographing Master Horiyoshi as he went about his creative life, images that will hopefully become a book next year.
There was of course some time for other pursuits and among other things we visited Nakamura-San in Fukuoka on the southern island of Kyushu. It's a six hour ride with the Shinkansen from Yokohama and it proved well worth the trip. Travelling together with us were Horiyoshi's son Kazuyoshi and his friend Horikazu.
Nakamura-San works in a different style and all the work is done using hand tools.
The technique/tool used is not called Tebori, but Shamisenbori (indicating the hand movement which resembles the way one plays the Shamisen, a traditional Japanese string instrument), and it was fascinating to watch Nakamura-San create wonderful Irezumi at speeds that would put any tattoo machine operator to shame.
Nakamura-San and his apprentices were gracious hosts and we had a very pleasurable visit.
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