The 2024 Gift Prints

Each year as the gift season approaches, we select a group of 'postcard-format' designs from our catalogue, get the block sets from the storeroom, and assign them to our printers to prepare for this season. The selection this year includes a brand-new addition to the tradition, as well as top favourites from the past few years. Something here for everybody!

Here's the new design for this year ...

At first glance, this seems to be perhaps not the most interesting among the hundreds of woodblock prints we have produced over the years. What exactly, are we looking at? A Japanese paper screen, with a shadow ... ??

Well yes ... but ... let's look closer!

There is more inside!

So how does it work? Simple - the paper is printed on both sides: one side with the shoji screen motif, the other side showing how the man made the shadow, and then folded in the middle. Fun and games back in the Edo era!

Two prints for the price of one! :-)

	About the Gift Prints ... (including video ...)   Each print is carefully mounted on an acid-free backboard ... ... slipped into a descriptive pamphlet giving some background. It is all wrapped in a traditional 'decoration' paper (pattern will vary) It is mailed from Tokyo in a padded envelope with current Japanese commemorative stamps. (stamps will vary from package to package ...) [Update: Due to changes in the international postal systems the Post Office now requires us to provide electronic data for all packages other than Air Mail. If you have selected 'Air Mail' during checkout, we will package this way, but please be aware that packages shipped by other methods will not carry real stamps. We have bitterly fought the Post Office on this, but to no avail ...] Most people ask us to include a short note inside, letting the recipient know who sent it. Or of course you can supply us with a longer message to be printed out and included ... "Hi Dave - I thought you would like to see my daughter's (she has a Masters in Fine Art) comments to me after receiving her woodcut. To say the least she was excited..." "DAD! Thank you so much for my print from Japan! You would not believe how immaculately packaged it was. I was blown away! The envelope and stamps and fonts were gorgeous. I opened that up, and the little package was origami-wrapped in BEAUTIFUL paper, then another little envelope, THEN a little booklet with the woodcut inside. OH MY GOSH! Where did you find this?! ... Thank you so so much! That was probably the most exciting thing I've ever gotten in the mail." [ Note: this is a video from some years back, and two things have changed. As mentioned on panel 4 of this slidebox, we are no longer _permitted_ to use actual postage stamps on many packages (due to the postal regulations about electronic document preparation). And also, after many years of keeping the price of the Gift Prints at the same level, we did finally raise them from the figure mentioned in this video. Thank you for your understanding ... ]

Price and Delivery

The gift prints are US$40 - including gift wrapping and packing as illustrated above.

We can mail to you, or directly to somebody on your behalf as a 'Gift from Japan'. The usual way is to include a slip of paper along the lines of: "For Ms. Happy Recipient, here is a small gift from Japan - sent to you at the request of Mr. Gift Sender", but of course we can use any message you wish to include. Our shopping cart is designed for the input of a single recipient's address; if you have a whole group you would like us to send, we can of course arrange that as well.

Timing of the delivery is up to you. In 'normal' times - when postal systems were running smoothly - we used to hold the prints back, timing them so that the packages arrive just before Christmas. In the current climate, it is much more difficult for us to accurately estimate such delivery times. You can let us know your preference, or of course you can give us your address for delivery, so that you can make your own arrangements for presentation. Thank you for your understanding!

	Gift Print Selection Form Add to your shopping cart. Quantity can be changed in the cart, and other prints can of course be added as well. Each print is $40, gift wrapping included. The Shadow Daruma Snow at Hiraizumi At the Hot Spring Owl in Moonlight Spring Fuji Crane at Sunrise Plum Blossoms in Moonlight

If you like this idea of a woodblock print as a gift, but are looking for something a bit more substantial, please have a look at our Mokuhankan Catalogue, containing hundreds of interesting prints: