Pagoda of Joruriji (Joruriji no to, Yamato)

<p>Although he always began his woodblock carvings with a drawing, Hiratsuka Un’ichi also changed his designs while he worked, as if drawing on the wood with his knife. He is regarded as the best-trained block carver in the creative print movement, and in 1970 he became the first printmaker to receive the Order of Cultural Merit from the Japanese government.</p> <p>In this print, the viewer’s eye is led up stone steps to a three-story pavilion on the grounds of Joruriji Temple. The foliage enveloping the pavilion is carved with various patterns that depict the species of the trees without the need for color.</p>