akahashi Hiromitsu (????) was born in Tokyo in 1959 and graduated from Nihon University, Tokyo in 1982. He prefers using his given name in signing his art, as the surname "Takahashi" is a very common in Japan. Hiromitsu's parents, the print artist Takahashi Isao and the textile-dyeing artist Soeda Toshiko, were assistants to Mori Yoshitoshi and the katazome (stencil dyeing: ???) designer Serizawa Keisuke (???? 1895–1984). As a result, they introduced their son to the technique of stencil printmaking (kappazuri: ???). Hiromitsu's works in that medium (the first date from 1984) are understandably reminiscent of Mori's, but they maintain a style that is easily recognizable as his own. For one thing, kabuki is his singular theme, whereas Mori roamed more widely in his subject matter. As a result, a great number of Hiromitsu's designs rely on the stop-action mie ("display" or dramatic pose: ??) that characterizes many celebrated climactic moments in kabuk
