Noboru Yamataka (born 1926) graduated in 1945 from literature department of Meiji University. Since 1973 he has exhibited with CWAJ in Tokyo. The artist has specialized in views of rural Japanese landscapes and buildings, particularly in contemporary Japan. Noboru Yamataka is a self-taught artist while working 37 years as editor for Shinchosha. He held his first solo exhibition at the age of 50 and since then has exhibited widely. He is one of Japan's most famous bookplate designers. His work is to be found in The Library of Congress. His works are a reflection of an uncompromising attitude of mind of an artist who devoted most of his life preserving Japanese beauty.
When I saw his woodblock prints, his woodblock prints jumped into my heart deeply and my heart became very warm. Because his prints remind me of my grandparents and childhood memories very much. Now unfortunately we cannot find any same scenes in Japan and my memories have been forgotten....Mostly Japanese woodblock artists make Japanese famous place, but Noboru's focus is different. He sees alley and everyday casual scenery around him. He desperately wants to chisel the thoughts and views of a lost Japan And our hearts become sometimes very passionate with nostalgia. His prints evoke his deep passion for a lost Japanese lifestyle.
