A Brush with Edo Elegance: The World of Takizawa Shigenobu Takizawa Shigenobu remains a somewhat enigmatic figure in the landscape of Edo period Japanese art, yet his contributions to *bijin-ga* (pictures of beautiful women) and *surimono* (woodblock prints designed as New Year’s greetings or gifts) are undeniably significant. Active primarily between 1720 and 1740, Shigenobu flourished during a period of relative peace and prosperity in Japan, which allowed for the blossoming of urban culture and artistic expression. While biographical details about his life are scarce—a common trait among…