Traditional Japanese woodblock printing, Ukiyo-e, flourished in Japan during the Edo period (1615-1867).

Japan, isolated from the Western powers, was experiencing centuries of relative peace, the rise of a middle class, relative prosperity, and increased attention to arts and entertainment.

"Ukiyo-e" translates as "pictures of the floating world," and its subjects were bars, brothels, kabuki theaters, and, later, landscapes of contemporary Japan. This "floating world" reflected life's fleeting nature, sensuality, and beauty.

An efficient process was developed to make Ukiyo-e prints affordable: one artist would focus on the initial drawing, another on woodblock carving, the third on woodblock printing, and finally, a "publisher" would focus on selling the artwork.

Pictured: Utamaro, Flowers of Edo: Young Woman's Narrative Chanting to the Shamisen, 1803.

Back in the US, in the Californian home of Bill Fernandez (Apple's first full-time employee), young Steve Jobs fell in love with Shin-Hanga. Bill's house had several framed woodblock prints by Hasui Kawase, the same Hasui Kawase represented by Watanabe Shozaburo back in Ginza, Tokyo.

"You can see his love of simplicity and elegance throughout his life, like in the products that he developed at Apple," says Fernandez.

"I think shin-hanga speaks to people like Steve Jobs, people who try to innovate with cutting-edge technology," Watanabe says. "They see the blood, sweat, and tears behind each painting. I guess Steve appreciated shin-hanga."

Pictured: the home of Bill Fernandez with Hasui Kawase prints.

The sōsaku-hanga (creative prints) art movement sprouted in early 20th-century Japan, but it really took off in post-war Japan.

As Japan was going through a major transition and metamorphosis of its role in the world, sōsaku-hanga artists saw themselves in opposition to the more traditional ukiyo-e and shin-hanga. They wanted to experiment and be more creative (thus, the name "creative prints").

Sōsaku-hanga brought the individuality and creativity of the artist to the forefront. While in ukiyo-e and shin-hanga, a group of artisans worked on inexpensive art for the masses, sōsaku-hanga artists wanted to elevate their work to the Western definition of fine art. Sōsaku-hanga artists followed the principle of "jiga jikoki jizuri" (self-drawn, self-carved, self-printed) where an artist was the sole creator of the artwork.

Sōsaku-hanga freed the artists to experiment with materials, techniques, and methods to express themselves fully.

Pictured: Hajime Namiki. Dogwood 5, 2005.

Traditional ukiyo-e woodblocks were made from Japanese wild mountain cherry (yamazakura). Yet Japan of the 18th and 19th centuries is quite different from 21st-century Japan. Deforestation, urbanization, and the increase in population have made cherry trees very rare, and most modern woodblock carvers had to switch to more commonly available, softer, easier-to-work-with Japanese basswood (shina).

As an experienced carver, however, Namiki insists on using only the traditional cherry wood, imported from Canada. His carving technique on hard cherry allows him to achieve intricate details that few other contemporary woodblock artists could.

He also decided to use oil pigments — as opposed to the more commonly used watercolors — to achieve richer tones and longer-lasting colors. For paper, Namiki uses traditional hand-made Japanese Gampi paper. Gampi, a flowering shrub, produces a paper with a beautiful sheen and luster; it adds strength and flexibility, and has a naturally sized quality that prevents moisture absorption.

The gold comes last. Once every layer is printed, Namiki presses silver or 24-carat leaf across the whole sheet while the ink is still wet, then leaves it about a month. The ink holds the leaf only where he printed; the rest brushes away. Very few printmakers work this way, and it is why the gold in his prints sits on the surface rather than behind the image.

Namiki's subjects are commonly trees and landscapes. While experimenting with new techniques (oil paint, gold, cherry woodblocks), Namiki's subjects are traditionally Japanese.

Namiki elevates trees to God-like status. That's no coincidence. Trees are the main focus of his work. Furthermore, his use of silver and gold as a backdrop reminds us of Byzantine religious icons, Buddhist sculptures, Tibetan thangkas, Persian and Indian miniature paintings, and Renaissance art.

Cherry blossom (or "sakura") is revered in Japan since the 8th century AD. For the Japanese people, the short-lived cherry flowers represent the beauty and fragility of life. A cherry tree inspired many generations of Japanese artists, musicians, poets, and craftsmen.

Sakura trees are often regarded as sacred, especially in Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. For Buddhists, the short-blooming flowers of sakura remind them of the ephemeral beauty of life. Every year, the beautiful pink flowers fill the air with renewal and optimism.