Existing comment:
Obata relied on employment within the Japanese American community during his early years as a professional artist in the United States. Beginning around 1918, he created paintings for use as covers and interior illustrations for JAPAN, a travel magazine published by Toyo Kisen Kaisha (Oriental Steamship Company) for its American audiences and customers. Since 1912, Obata had also worked regularly as an illustrator for San Francisco's two Japanese-language newspapers, Shin Sekai (New World) and Nichibei Shimbun (Japanese American News). |