Kirazuri

Kirazuri involves dusting finely ground mica (kira) onto a freshly printed adhesive layer on the paper, creating a subtle sparkle or metallic sheen. The technique was popularized in the late eighteenth century for bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) and actor prints, where the mica background lent an air of luxury and sophistication.

The most famous examples of kirazuri are found in Sharaku's actor portraits and Utamaro's beauty prints of the 1790s, where the silver-gray mica backgrounds became a signature style. The Kansei reforms of 1790 briefly banned mica printing as an extravagance, though the prohibition was inconsistently enforced.

To create the effect, the printer first applies a layer of rice-paste adhesive to the background area using a woodblock, then immediately dusts mica powder over the wet surface. The powder adheres to the glue and is brushed away from uncoated areas. The result is a background that shimmers when viewed from different angles, quite unlike anything achievable with pigment alone. While most common in ukiyo-e era prints, kirazuri was occasionally revived in shin-hanga works for special editions.