Ohayo Gozaimas Lady

"Ohayo Gozaimas Lady" is a 1983 oban color woodblock print by Micah Schwaberow whose title uses the Japanese morning greeting rendered in a casual, phonetic transliteration rather than standard romanization. "Ohayo gozaimasu" means "good morning," and the informal spelling paired with "Lady" suggests a personal encounter, perhaps a daily greeting exchanged with a neighbor or acquaintance during the artist's time in Japan. Schwaberow, an American who immersed himself in Japanese culture and printmaking tradition, captures this small moment of cross-cultural connection with affection and humor. The title's blend of Japanese and English mirrors the artist's own position as a Western practitioner of Eastern craft. The woodblock print preserves a fleeting social interaction, giving permanence to the kind of everyday exchange that typically vanishes the moment it occurs.