Last July 9, 2012, we headed off to the Ayala Museum’s Sharaku Interpreted by Japan’s Contemporary Artists, a tribute to Toshusai Sharaku—Japan’s great master of uykiyo-e woodblock prints.

We learned there was so much more to Japanese culture than just anime, geishas, and sumo wrestlers. Apart from yummy cocktails, desserts, and sushi (of course), the Sharaku exhibit showed art pieces and reinterpretations of Sharaku’s works by modern and contemporary artists. And in the spirit of Japan-Philippine Friendship Month, the event also hosted two stations for artists and enthusiasts alike to trade drawings with people from other countries.—HICKEY NICKIE