Sadao Fujimori, quintessential dapper gentleman, was a fixture in his Tokyo neighborhood of Higashi Nippori.  He was known by all as the artist who would open his home and studio to everyone from local shopkeeper to world traveler.  He loved learning and sharing with others over a cup of tea. 

Mr. Fujimori practiced the traditional Japanese art of creating hanga (woodblock prints).  From meticulously carving the woodblocks, to applying paint by hand, to rolling the image onto paper, each print was unique given the slight variations in color saturation from one print to the next.  In addition to his limited-edition handprints, Mr. Fujimori was well-known for his annual New Year’s postcard designs.  People the world over would wait for their Fujimori designed postcards to arrive in the mail on New Year’s Day. 

In his later years, Mr. Fujimori became a mentor to up-and-coming artists.  He derived a great deal of pleasure in passing his knowledge of traditional hanga techniques to younger generations.  He was equally passionate about keeping traditional Japanese music alive, particularly through supporting performers of shamisen, koto, and shakuhachi.