The Gyotaku is an ancient Japanese technique that combines nature and art. It originated on board Japanese fishing boats at the end of the 18th century, where fishermen used freshly caught fish to create a kind of ‘natural photograph’, imprinting their shape on paper with ink.

The word itself means “fish imprint,” derived from gyo (fish) and taku (rubbing). It is said that samurai practiced this technique as an exercise in meditation and self-control.