David Stanley Hewett is a contemporary artist who specializes in ceramics and abstract painting. Japanese techniques, as well as ideas like bushido, play a huge role in his work. Hewett has been a resident of Japan since 1988. His artwork features prominently in major hotels, and his exhibitions regularly sell out. This time on Japanophiles, Hewett tells us about his life, his artistic processes, and what it is about Japan that inspires him so much.

2018 marks the 150th year since the beginning of the Meiji era, as well as the end of the age of samurai in Japan. Meiji means "Enlightened Rule," and the era lasted from 1868 until 1912. The ultimate objective at the time was "bunmei kaika," or civilization and enlightenment, which included modernizing the nation so that Japan could perform as a strong and respectable player in the world of international relations. The era was characterized by ambitious cultural, social, and political shifts. The focus of Japanology Plus this time is Meiji-era advisors, the foreign consultants behind many of these changes.