The artist Sanzo Wada designed an historically interesting, and artistically meritorious (often achieving an almost painterly effect) series of prints that depicted the rapid modernization that Japan was experiencing in the 1930s, showing both new and traditional but disappearing occupations.  

He brought together woodblock carvers and printers from as far away as Kyoto and Tokyo, and lodged them and their families in a house that he purchased in Nishinomiya near Kobe.  The publication of this series by Nishinomiya Sho-In, called Sketches of Showa Era Occupations, commenced in Showa 14 (1939), and it was Wada's plan to publish 2 new prints every month until a total of 100 designs had been completed. The series was immediately popular; however, because of the deteriorating war-time conditions due to the war, publication had to be suspended after 48 prints in Showa 16 (1941).

Soon afterwards, Wada issued a limited edition set in a deluxe album, from which we are pleased to offer various of his original pre-war prints.

(In the 1950s, Wada resumed the series with an additional 24 designs published by Kyoto Hanga-In.)