Karuizawa Years

Jacoulet spent his final years (1945–1960) in Karuizawa, a mountain enclave for Western expatriates who remained in Japan during the war.  Arriving in the last year of World War II, he witnessed his greatest commercial success during the postwar period. Jacoulet’s artistic career was significantly shaped by his connections with the U.S. occupation forces. With support from US Navy captain and longtime friend Major Henry Hutton Smith he re-established his workshop and gained exposure through exhibitions sponsored by the U.S. Army. His prints resonated with many officers, including General Douglas MacArthur’s wife, who notably displayed one in their Waldorf Astoria penthouse in New York.

Jacoulet constructed a compound in Karuizawa that included his large residence, another large home for the Rah family, and a studio. Jacoulet sold his work to an almost exclusively a Western clientele, though he briefly had an a New York agent Dorothy Finkin. The collaboration was of limited success.

Toward the end of his life, Jacoulet undertook an extended overseas journey but was denied entry into the United States. He passed away in 1960 at 64 and was laid to rest in Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo alongside his father. His time in Karuizawa reflects a blend of artistic innovation, cross-cultural interaction, and personal resilience.

The contents of this page—like the rest of the website—are a work in progress. Comments and feedback are always welcome.

このページの内容は、他のページと同様に現在も作成中です。コメントやフィードバックがあれば、ぜひ教えてください。

Scroll through the slideshow below to learn about Jacoulet’s final years in Karuizawa.

下のスライドショーをスクロールして、軽井沢でのジャクレーの晩年について学んでください。

WP Karuizawa by Common Bones
brushstroke by Common Bones