Black as Lacquer: Ito Jakuchu's Jokyoshu and the Art of the Rubbing Print

A River Journey, Reimagined in Black and White

In spring 1767 (Meiwa 4), Ito Jakuchu traveled by boat down the Yodo River from Fushimi to Tenma Bridge in Osaka, accompanied by his lifelong confidant — the Zen monk Daiten Kenjo of Shokoku-ji temple. From that journey came Jokyoshu (Pleasure Boat): one of the most technically extraordinary prints in all of Japanese art.

The Takuhan Technique: Darkness That Glows

Unlike conventional woodblock prints, Jokyoshu uses takuhan — a stone-rubbing technique in which ink is pressed and layered repeatedly onto the surface. The result is a print that is almost entirely black, with rivers, trees, and landscapes rendered in pure white.

But this is no ordinary black. Jakuchu's layered ink achieves the deep, lustrous sheen of urushi lacquer — and against it, the white passages glow with an otherworldly luminosity. Water flows. Trees shimmer. The Yodo River comes alive in darkness.

Jakuchu and Daiten: A Creative Partnership

The relationship between Jakuchu and the monk Daiten Kenjo was one of the great creative partnerships of the Edo period. Daiten provided intellectual and spiritual grounding; Jakuchu provided visionary artistic expression. Jokyoshu is a direct product of that friendship — a shared memory of a river journey, transformed into art.

Add This Piece to Your Collection

Available at Atelier UKIYO. A vision of the Yodo River unlike anything before or since — and a window into one of Jakuchu's most experimental and personal works.