June 6, 2025

After our first night in the Kataoka house, we once again made our way to the Mokuhanga woodblock printing workshop. Today’s agenda focused on beginning the papermaking portion of the workshop, where we had the opportunity to complete the full process of creating our own handmade paper. It was a hands-on, immersive experience that allowed us to understand and appreciate the time and precision required in traditional Japanese papermaking.

Following the paper session, we moved on to the next major part of the workshop: carving our woodblock prints. This stage was meticulous and required a steady hand, as the process was both detailed and repetitive. Although the carving was a bit tedious, the effort was absolutely worth it. We weren’t expected to finish the entire carving by the end of the day, but we were encouraged to keep a consistent pace to ensure we’d be done before the final day of the workshop.

Once class concluded, we took our usual walk back to the local supermarket to gather groceries for that evening’s dinner. The meal we prepared together consisted of delicious karaage chicken accompanied by a few side dishes. Once again, this dinner became a meaningful moment everyone worked together in the kitchen, and it truly felt as if we were a family sharing a home-cooked meal.

Sitting around the table with everyone after a long day of creative work, enjoying food that, in my opinion, far surpassed anything I’ve ever cooked back in the United States, was the perfect way to end the day. The sense of community and the quality of the meal made the experience even more rewarding.