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Writing is an inevitably solitary act. But a book, especially one like this, exists thanks to a global village of generous people who have extended a helping hand at one point or another. Special acknowledgments must first go to the many institutions that provided funding for my international research that resulted in this book: the University of California, Merced; the University of California, Santa Barbara; and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange. It is impossible not to marvel at my good fortune of having known and worked with so many perennially supportive scholars. My profound gratitude goes to Dr. Laurie J. Monahan for her critical feedback and steadfast guidance during the inception of this book. Her scruples and uncompromising confidence in my project make her one of the best advisors one could have. I am also indebted to Dr. E. Bruce Robertson, who introduced me to Kuniyoshi’s work. His mentorship and unwavering encouragement over the years have been invaluable and much cherished. It has been a great pleasure to have received the intellectual support and advice from Dr. Greg Robinson, whose expertise in this area of research and enthusiasm in nurturing this project have been immeasurable. And it has been my privilege to know Dr. Tom Wolf, whose seminal scholarship on Kuniyoshi was an inspiration, and to benefit from his selfless sharing of contacts and research and from our numerous discussions of Kuniyoshi’s work over the years. I am most grateful for Mr. Soichiro Fukutake’s generous permission to access and reproduce the Kuniyoshi works in his impressive collection in Okayama, Japan. My thanks also go to Mr. Stephen Diamond in New York, who oversees the artist’s estate on behalf of Mrs. Sara Mazo Kuniyoshi, for allowing and facilitating the reproduction of the Kuniyoshi works illustrated in this book. A contingent of most dedicated scholars and museum professionals in Japan has made this book possible: Mrs. Ritsuko T. Ozawa in Kyoto; Mr. Katsumi Senoo and Mr. Hirose Naruhisa at the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art; Mr. Yasuhiko Okumura at the Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama; Ms. Mika Kuraya at the Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; Ms. Ayaka Fujita at Ohara Museum of Art in ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xii Acknowledgments Kurashiki; and Ms. Yumika Sato at Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art. My gratitude goes to all of them and their associates for providing such vital information and assistance throughout the research and production phases of this book. I must also acknowledge the following people for their invaluable help and advice on this project along the way: Dr. Colin Gardner; Mrs. Marian YoshikiKovinick ; Dr. Franklin Odo; Dr. Cynthia Mills and Ms. Amelia Goerlitz; Ms. Judy Throm; Ms. Emily Jones; Ms. Susan K. Anderson; Ms. Amy Hau and staff; Mr. Karl Kaoru Matsushita; Ms. Ann Karlstrom; Ms. Marjorie Van Cura; Ms. Danielle Funderburk; Ms. Genevieve Ellerbee; Ms. Jennifer Seeds Martin; Ms. Jennifer Marsh; Ms. Jill Stanley; the staff at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, and the Charles E. Young Research Library Special Collections at UCLA; the Getty Research Institute; and the tireless administrative staff—especially Kymm and Rhonda—at the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts at the University of California, Merced. I would be remiss if I did not express my heartfelt thanks to Ms. Masako Ikeda, acquiring editor at the UH Press, who believed in my project from the getgo and had the incredible patience in shepherding it through the long revision and production process. Of course, the book is made possible also thanks to the expert help from the editorial staff at the UH Press, including Mr. Keith Leber, managing editor, and Mr. Drew Bryan, copy editor. Last but certainly not least, I could not have completed this book without the unconditional support of my friends, especially the much-appreciated feedback and help from Linda, Seth, Catha, Laura Jane, and Reiko, and the Wang and the Nachenberg families. ...

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