If you think Japanese comics are a 20th-century thing, think again. Otsu-e paintings are the spontaneous, throwaway sketches bought by 17th-century travellers as a souvenir and their graphic style has trickled down into contemporary art forms, too.
The Maison du Japon in Paris is now hosting the first major Otsu-e exhibition in Europe. FRANCE 24 met fifth-generation painter Shozan Takahasi at the show's opening.
