FALMOUTH, MASS.- Highfield Hall & Gardens on Cape Cod is the exclusive U.S. venue for the prestigious juried exhibition, Trailblazers: Celebrating Contemporary Japanese Prints, on view through October 26.

Organized by the College Women’s Association of Japan (CWAJ), Trailblazers features 140 acclaimed Japanese printmakers, showcasing a range of printmaking techniques from traditional woodblock and intaglio to lithography, etching, aquatint, silkscreen, and contemporary innovations. The exhibition highlights five groundbreaking women artists whose contributions have shaped the evolution of contemporary Japanese printmaking: SHINODA Toko (1913-2021), YOSHIDA Chizuko (1924-2017), IWAMI Reika (1927-2020), YANAGISAWA Noriko (1940- ), and TATSUNO Toeko (1950-2014). These visionaries overcame social and academic barriers to pursue professional careers in the visual arts, paving the way for future generations of artists. Their work reflects bold innovation, resilience, and a dedication to artistic expression.


OGAWA Koichi, Blue Sphere No. 25, ed50, silkscreen, 2023.

Each year, CWAJ produces a juried print show as their principal fundraiser in Tokyo. The jury was comprised of four specialists in the field of printmaking, representing the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, the Kyoto City University of Arts, and the Japan Print Association; their criteria included technical proficiency, originality, and artistic expression. One juror, Yanagisawa Noriko, Director of the Japan Print Association, a practicing artist and one of the Trailblazers, commented how CWAJ is receptive to creative freedom, originality, and inclusive of a range of styles and approaches.

This year marks CWAJ's 75th anniversary and their founding mission of supporting Japanese women’s education. Proceeds from the sale of the original prints will support Highfield’s cultural programs and the CWAJ scholarship fund.


SAITO Noriko, You and I and Me, ed10, drypoint, embroidery, 2024.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Highfield Hall & Gardens is offering a variety of Japanese cultural programs for children and adults, including gardening, printmaking, origami, cooking classes, lectures, and musical performances. These immersive experiences provide visitors with deeper insight into Japanese traditions and culture. To register or learn more, visit highfieldhall.org.

The College Women’s Association of Japan

Founded in 1949, the College Women’s Association of Japan (CWAJ) is a nonprofit volunteer organization, comprised of nearly 500 women dedicated to promoting education, cross‐cultural exchange, and friendship. CWAJ began when the alumnae clubs of Mount Holyoke and Wellesley colleges joined forces to provide travel grants for Japanese students to attend U.S. universities. CWAJ’s services have steadily expanded to include a wide range of academic and research scholarships, courses for the blind and those with low vision, English language learning programs, Fukushima disaster relief, public lectures and social events, and artist grants supporting innovation in the world of hanga. As the organization has grown, it has remained steadfast to its mission to enrich lives, encourage cross‐cultural dialogue, and provide educational opportunities. www.cwaj.org


TATSUNO Toeko, August 30-1995, 43/50, etching, aquatint, 1995.

Highfield Hall & Gardens

The house is a rare surviving example of transitional Stick Style architecture, containing beautiful gardens located in the heart of Falmouth, Massachusetts. It is a unique combination of a historic house, expansive gardens and trails, and a vibrant cultural center. Built in 1878 as the summer home for Boston's Beebe family, the house sits on 5.5 pristine acres surrounded by nearly 400 acres of conservation land and public walking trails. Highfield Hall & Gardens is not your typical historic estate. It is an example of a historic building saved by grassroots community organizing. An effort of tenacity and vision that continues as new research on the structure and its story of the people who lived here add to the building's significance. It offers world-class music, international art exhibitions, culinary classes, family programs, and year-round special events. For more information, visit highfieldhallandgardens.org.

Trailblazers: Celebrating Contemporary Japanese Prints is made possible in part through the generous support of Cape Cod 5 Charitable Endowment, The Falmouth Fund, The Falmouth Road Race Foundation, The Woods Hole Foundation, and The Michaels Companies, Inc.