1. Gyotaku
Japanese Fish Prints

2. What is gyotaku?
The word “gyotaku” is Japanese word that comes from these symbols:
>>> gyo = "fish“
>>> taku = "stone monument rubbing“

3. Gyotaku Originated in the 1800’s in Japan
Japanese fishermen would make prints from the fish they caught to record what they caught
Direct method of printing
Fishermen would put ink directly onto the freshly dead fish and then press a paper to the fish
This creates and exact copy of the specimen
Usually fishermen would do this themselves, but sometimes they would hire artists
The oldest catch was from 1862 by Lord Sakai. He caught the biggest fish he had ever seen one night so he commissioned an artist to create a gyotaku of it.

7. Naoki Hayashi
Hawaiian artist and fishermen

8. Step 1: Catch the fish. (Fresher the better
Step 1: Catch the fish!!! (Fresher the better!) Step 2: Apply ink to the fish

9. Step 3: Place rice paper over fish and rub the imprint onto the paper.

10. Step 4: Remove the paper!

11. Naoki Hayashi’s gyotaku artwork