Jacoulet's father was employed as a banker in Tokyo from 1905 and Paul lived and worked in Japan from the age of four. He visited Korea and various South Pacific islands, returning to Europe for occasional visits. He also went to North America, but had difficulty in gaining entry in the United States due to his controversial and flamboyant life-style. He took the art of Japanese woodblock printing to new heights and his collaboration with Japanese block carvers and printers produced virtuoso results. He died in Karuizawa, Japan 1960