He made short work of it ... at least until we ran out of tiles!

Lee-san is still working on the main shop counter - he's using an abrasive wheel to texture the boards that will face the hallway ...

Given our budget - and the astonishing costs of lumber in Japan - we're trying to stretch our resources a bit by using some inexpensive wood here, but I think that once he's finished with this, you would never know that ...

A new face! This is Fernando Saiki, a student from Brazil here on a scholarship program to study woodblock print traditions. He's not learning much about that while plastering cracks in our walls, but his day will come!

This is the corner of the Print Party room where the coffee machine will reside (if we ever manage to identify a suiltable one - any advice?). The cupboard below will hold cups, etc., and the section on the right will be a charging station for our customer's phones, etc., so that they can get their device powered up properly while having a print party ...

And the emergency exit sign is already in place; we're not ready for people to come in yet, but we're ready to make sure they can get out!

Many people have been asking us when we will be ready to open. We have been saying 'early October' but that's clearly not going to happen. There are only three of us doing the main work here, and we're all amateurs at this game. It's going pretty slowly.

Here's a bit of a reality check - jobs still waiting to be done ...

• Print Party room
• locate, purchase, and install the main work table (over three meters long!)
• install the smaller shelf over the main table, where the moistened paper will reside
• finish the shelves inside the coffee corner table
• find a coffee machine
• finish the charging station
• install the air conditioner (an outside guy will be doing this for us)
• finish panelling the north wall
• paint all the other walls
• put new paper on the cupboard doors
• install the bench seats (already built and waiting, but we haven't yet found the circular 'igusa' cushions we need ...)
• lay down the new tatami (already ordered)
• Hallway area
• Shoe box for Print Party customers (no shoes in the print party room)
• apron rack / coat rack
• build the large display for the new HangaClub print series along the wall
• finish refacing the outside of the shop wall
• varnish the hallway floor
• re-paint all the walls
• Shop area
• install track lights (wiring is ready and waiting)
• purchase and hang new wallpaper (already chosen)
• re-build shoji screen and install
• build the 'box' to enclose the downspots over the counter, including installation of seven spotlights (wiring is ready and waiting)
• build the shelf above the main counter
• frame and install a window at the top of the stairs
• lay down the new carpet flooring
• build the browser bins for holding the prints
• design, build, and install the 'video corner'
• Bathroom
• install the water heater under the sink
• connect all the water lines and finally get running water!
• install the toilet itself (all plumbed and ready to go ...)
• build the final wall segment, and hang the door
• finish off all the mouldings
• Printer's room
• install two workbenches (coming from the Ome workshop)
• figure out how to build lights for them, because we can't hang some from the ceiling
• paint all the walls
• build a storage unit/shelves for the printer's tools
• purchase and install the fridge and freezer (for pigments, paper, food, etc.)
• Stairs/Entrance
• remove old and loose treads
• patch all the chipped concrete steps
• rebuild (with concrete or mortar) a heavily damaged step
• paint all the steps
• install 'no skid' treads
• add one more light to cover the bottom third of the flight
• re-paint the walls and ceiling of the entire stairway area
• install the new main electrical panel (wiring all prepared; pro electrician will do this job)
• with the new panel in place, call the electricity company to upgrade us from 20A to 60A
• rebuild the wall directly inside the entrance (old ragged plaster is still visible)
• design and install print displays in the alcoves ...
• remove the old entranceway slab floor that cracked in last week's earthquake, and replace it with wood flooring laid over a new concrete base layer
• Exterior
• install the large metal frame for the sign (being built for us)
• tie the sign on
• figure out, build, and install the sign lighting
• do something with the front door ...

And on top of this we still don't have internet, because NTT hasn't figured out how to get the fibre into the building ...

'Ready by the end of the month!' Well ...