We've got a weather-proof poster on the front door, held to the glass with velcro tape (more about that later). This is Mark III of the poster; we've been reprinting it as we get feedback from visitors, etc. Our current feeling - as you can see - is that we want to emphasize the Print Party part of our business ...

We've been stealthily watching people as they walk along the street, and more than a few of them glance at the poster, peek up the stairs, and then - seeing nothing recognizable - move on. So we put a copy of a print image on the wall just inside the door, to help let them know what they will see if they do venture upstairs ...

Do you remember the photo of the staircase in that previous blog entry? Well it has changed quite a bit! We kept the wooden planters, but pretty much everything else has been renewed. New concrete steps replace the broken ones, new wall panels cover the old broken walls, new paint, new non-skid treads, a new light half-way up ... And definitely a new view up at the top!

We've received a few flowers from supporters ... including one from my family over in Vancouver ... thanks gang!

There's a little alcove at the top of the stairs, and just above the umbrella stand we've mounted a little panel:

Here's a closeup:

And here's the text from the panel below it:

The Construction Team
Renovation work for construction of this shop was done during September/October 2014 by the three guys you see in this actual photo (!) From left to right, they are:
Yasuhiro Lee
Lee-san has worked for Mokuhankan before, making batches of paulownia wood storage cases for Dave's prints, and we were very happy that he was available for this job. Lee-san built the central shop area, including all the cabinetry, and then had a hand in pretty much everything else you see around you.
Dave Bull
Dave (the owner of Mokuhankan) worked out the initial design and concept for the shop. His part in the actual construction was mostly the electrical work, preparing the Print Party bench space, and then assisting the other two guys: "Hold this while I drill ..." or "We need more supplies..." etc. etc.
Ioan Chiloflischi
Ioan is Dave's son-in-law, and came over from Canada for seven weeks to help out with this job. He built the new bathroom, ripping out the old squatter in its tiny space and replacing it with the modern and pleasant room we now enjoy, doing all the framing, plumbing and finishing. He also re-built the entrance staircase, where a previous renovation had left ragged and broken concrete steps halfway up the flight, and was the main painter and wallpaper hanger.
The three of us had a blast working on this project. We hit a bunch of thumbs, we downed a fair amount of Asahi Beer (evenings only, of course!), we introduced Ioan to the pleasures of a hot public bath at the end of a day's work, and all-in-all had a pretty good time. We hope you enjoy the results of our work!

As you stand on that landing, you can see through the new window into the shop area:

And then going through the door, you have two choices - left or right. To the right is the Print Party zone, with the apron rack and the bench for getting your shoes off (the actual shoe box isn't ready yet ...)

Looking into the Print Party room, it's the big bench that dominates the room. Note the new two-level platform that Lee-san built so that kids will be able to reach the bench and make prints ...

We've already begun making prints here, and this bench isn't going to stay so clean and neat for much longer!

The coffee machine has also had a pretty good workout over the past few days, and it seems as though it might have been a good choice. There is a reasonable selection of drinks for everybody, they are dispensed quickly, and it's not so expensive. The only unknown factor is just how it will hold up over time ... we'll see.

But I think we'll have to leave it here for tonight. It's been a very long day, and tomorrow will be much longer. I'll try to bring you Part 2 - the other end of the building - as soon as I can "¦ [Update: here it is "¦]