Hatsumi Sensei mentors his students physically, verbally and with brushwork. Each of his artworks is like a koan — meditating on them helps us see from his perspective.
Martial Artist
Masaaki Hatsumi is the head instructor of the Bujinkan Dojo and these nine martial schools: Togakure Ryu, Shindenfudo Ryu, Koto Ryu, Takagiyoshin Ryu, Kukishinden Ryu, Gyokko Ryu, Gikan Ryu, Gyokushin Ryu, and Kumogakure Ryu.
The Dojo Giga Collection
In February of 2017, Hatsumi Sensei exhibited a selection of his paintings at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo. Until the time of the exhibition, he had displayed some of them at his dojo, but this was an unprecedented opportunity for the public. He named the exhibition Dojo Giga (after the 12th-century picture scroll, Choju-jinbutsu-giga, which humorously anthropomorphizes various animals and is often credited with being the first manga).
Heaven & Earth
Volumes one and two of the Dojo Giga art book series are Heaven and Earth. Heaven won Most Outstanding Design at the IPPY Awards (the Independent Publisher Book Awards) and Earth is based on the same award-winning design. Each book features Hatsumi Sensei's artworks paired with photographs of him teaching at the dojo, plus an essay in which he comments on his paintings. The books are fully bilingual (written in English and Japanese) and they include a commentary section by the publisher which offers translations of Sensei's calligraphy and cultural notes.
Heaven
For more information and a gallery, click "View full details" under "Buy it now." Get three Heaven books for free delivery — a postage savings of $120.
