Deep cuts that are all in the family

Yukiko Takahashi was wearing a goose yellow kimono when I met her in a Beijing hotel lobby recently, and as I looked she seemed like just the kind of person who would appreciate the beauties of Chinese porcelain, calligraphy, pot culture and seal carving.

So when she let on to me that at heart she was not that enthusiastic about Japanese woodcut prints, I was taken aback. It was all the more surprising given that she was born into a family of artisans.

"I'm the youngest of 10 siblings, and not once since I was a child has my father asked me to inherit the family business," Takahashi said. "Rather, he guided me in looking for beauty in everyday life."