Ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") is an art form that originated in the metropolitan culture of Edo (Tokyo) in the early seventeenth century and involved collaboration between artist, carver, printer and publisher. Printed on fragile paper using a technique of woodcut or woodblock printing, the early black and white designs soon gave way to delicate two-colour prints and then to multicoloured prints. Favourite subjects were portraits of beautiful geisha and courtesans, popular kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers, erotica, scenes from nature, historical subjects and even foreigners in Japan.

The charming, carefully selected ukiyo-e in this book reflect not only Japan's rich history and way of life but also reveal the author's love affair with an art form that has captured the imagination of people all over the world./p>

At the heart of a Japanese garden is harmony with nature. More than simply a landscape of trees and flowering shrubs, a Japanese garden provides a place of serenity and rest, filled with peaceful spots that lend themselves to meditation and contemplation. Japanese Gardens celebrates and illustrates this ideal, showcasing the exquisite natural beauty of more than 20 quintessentially Japanese gardens-big and small, urban and rural, traditional and contemporary.

The expert author-and-photographer team behind this book excels at capturing and explaining the essential elements and techniques that distinguish Japanese gardens from those of other countries. The featured sites range from large feudal period gardens, temple gardens and private and countryside gardens to mountain flower gardens, tea gardens and gardens devoted to miniature bonsai.

The entire fascinating story of Japan told in one exciting manga-style volume!

A History of Japan in Manga tells the action-packed saga of Japan from its misty origins up to the present day. Epic battles, noble Samurai and duplicitous leaders are all portrayed in modern manga fashion! The lively stories in this book include:

- The Dawn of Japan: The Birth of Buddhism and the transition from hunters—gatherers to agricultural societies of ancient times
- The Genpei Wars: Davage battles between the Taira and Minamoto clans that led to the powerful warlord Minamoto no Yoritomo naming himself Japan's first Shogun
- The Onin Wars: A decade-long struggle for domination of Japan in which thousands of Samurai fought and tragically lost their lives
- The 47 Ronin: Loyal Samurai who vowed to avenge the death of their master, choosing honor over surrender and being forced to commit mass ritual suicide as a result
- The Satsuma Rebellion: A dramatic last stand by Samurai loyal to the Shogun who revolted against the new Meiji government and its plans to finally modernize Japan
-  And many more!

Dozens of indelible portraits, manga stories, maps and info-sidebars bring the full sweep of Japanese history to life in one easy-to-read book!

About the Author:

Shunichiro Kanaya is a lecturer in the Department of Japanese History at Toshin High School in Musashino, Japan. He is the author of several books on Japanese history and has appeared as a history commentator on NTV, Fuji TV and TV Tokyo.

Zack Davisson is an award-winning translator, writer, and folklorist. He is the author of books like Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan, Yurei: The Japanese Ghost, and Yokai Stories, and the translator of books like Soseki Natsume's I Am a Cat and Shigeru Mizuki's multiple Eisner Award-winning Showa: a History of Japan. In addition, his comic work includes Demon Days: X-Men from Marvel, Wayward from Image, and The Art of Star Wars Visions from Dark Horse. He has lectured on manga, folklore, and translation at numerous colleges and contributed to exhibitions at numerous museums. He currently lives in Seattle, WA with his wife Miyuki, dog Mochi, cat Shere Khan, and several ghosts.

An introduction to the Japanese art of living of Ogata through the vision of its founder, Shinichiro Ogata.

As an expert in the cultures and traditions of ancient Japan, Shinichiro Ogata has dedicated himself to a contemporary reinvention of this solemn yet simple ideal of a harmonious life. His eponymous spaces in Japan and Paris are at once a tea salon, pastry shop, restaurant, bar, art gallery, and crafts and housewares store where every element is infused with a pared-back, refined style, holistically in tune with surroundings and nature.

Beautifully printed, this elegant volume provides a comprehensive overview of Japanese art of living, with chapters on tea, cuisine, wagashi (traditional confections), crafts, fragrance, and floral art. Readers are invited to consider a new outlook, nourished by millennia-old traditions and materialized through exquisite objects and sensorial experiences. Each section explores the details and innovative possibilities for deeply rooted traditions as well as the social and aesthetic rules that sustain them, while beautiful photographs showcase Ogata’s signature design as well as its flagship Paris space. Written in the first person, Shinichiro Ogata’s text offers a deeper understanding of his creative process and unique aesthetic vision. This is an exquisite book for aficionados of Japanese refinement and craftsmanship.

About the Authors:

Shinichiro Ogata is a Japanese designer. He founded Simplicity Co., Ltd. in 1998, a multidisciplinary company with activities ranging from a design studio to tea, cuisine, wagashi, crafts, and other fields. Ogata opened in Paris in 2020. Dennis Paphitis is the founder of Aesop. Kei Osawa is a French-Japanese researcher and curator at the University Museum, the University of Tokyo.

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Пролистать книгу Ogata: Reinventing the Japanese Art of Living​  на сайте издательства.

A goblin with no body and a monster with no face. A resourceful samurai and a faithful daughter. A spirit of the moon and a dragon king.

This collection of 15 traditional Japanese folktales transports readers to a time of adventure and enchantment. Drawn from the works of folklorists Lafcadio Hearn and Yei Theodora Ozaki, these tales are by turns terrifying, exhilarating, and poetic.

- Striking illustrations by contemporary Japanese artist Kotaro Chiba
- Special gift edition features an embossed, textured case with metallic gold ink, and a satin ribbon page marker

Fans of Celtic Tales, Ghostly Tales, and Japanese Notebooks will love this book.

This book is ideal for:

- Fans of fairytales, folklore, or ghost stories
- Anyone interested in Japan’s history and culture
- People of Japanese heritage
- Collectors of illustrated classics

About the Author:

Kotaro Chiba is an illustrator based in Niigata, Japan.

A unique and comprehensive collection of photographs that capture all the ceremonies that mark the ritual restoration of the Ise Grand Shrine, one of the most important and profound symbols of Japanese society.

Architecture and religion come together in this never-before-published record of Japanese culture. The book presents the 63rd restoration of the Shrine, beautifully captured by photographs of all the ritual ceremonies, along with descriptive texts. The restoration of the sanctuary takes place every 20 years and lasts over a period of 8 years since 690 A.D. An extraordinary variety of large format photographs depict profound spirituality and festive local participation. Including drawings of the main buildings and maps of the area, this is a book not only for architects, but also for those with a strong interest in Japanese religion and culture.

About the Author:

J.K. Mauro Pierconti is a historian of architecture at Waseda University in Tokyo. His more recent research focuses on traditional Japanese architecture and the work of important architects. Masaaki Miyazawa is a photographer and winner of the International Center of Photography Award in 1985.

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Пролистать книгу Sengu: The Reconstruction of the Ise Shrine: Holy Japan photographed by Miyazawa Masaaki

Japandi is the newest and hottest trend in interiors: a harmonious combination of functionality, comfort, and the minimalist look that characterizes Scandinavian design with the purest elegance of traditional Japanese craftsmanship.

Japandi harmoniously blends Scandinavian hygge with wabi-sabi, a concept derived from Zen Buddhism that advocates peaceful sobriety and invites us to admire the beauty hidden in slight imperfections in nature. This first major survey of Japandi style will introduce the reader to the fundamentals and to iconic objects that will transform an interior into a Japandi-inspired retreat.

Chapter one of the book examines the converging principles that have contributed to the emergence of Japandi Style such as functionality, neutral colors, the importance of organic materials, and the thoughtful simplicity of shapes. Chapter two presents some of the most emblematic works of Japandi Style, and the design studios behind them. Chapter three gives examples of how to decorate and furnish rooms - the living room, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, winter garden, or home office - in Japandi Style.

About the Author:

Agata Toromanoff is an art and design historian who has curated numerous contemporary art projects. She has written features for the art press and is the author of several books, including Chairs by Architects (2016), Sofas: 340 Iconic Designs (2018), Vases: 250 State-of-the-Art Designs (2019) and Designs for Children (2022). Pierre Toromanoff studied mathematics and Russian literature. After a career of over twenty years in the book industry as international sales manager and then as managing director for several art publishers, he co-founded with his wife Agata a book packaging agency in 2014. Since then, he has authored several publications on contemporary art, pop culture, and fashion.

For the art enthusiast, the doll collector, as well as the casual reader, the world of Japanese dolls is a fascinating one to explore. For many centuries Japanese doll artisans created spectacular works of art, invested with both significant cultural meaning and elemental beauty. The focus of this book is on collecting: What types of ningyo are available for the collector of today? What are some of the features and characteristics which will help collectors identify the ningyo they find and evaluate them? Who were some of the earliest collectors in Japan, Europe, and the United States? and, How do we preserve and care for these invaluable artifacts from Japan's past?

About the Author:

Alan Pate was born in Florida and studied in France, Korea and the US. He has an MA in East Asian Studies from Harvard University. He is the owner of the Japanese antique firm Akanezumiya in St Ignatius, Montana, specializing in the religious and figural art of Japan from the Edo period and earlier. He is the leading expert on Japanese dolls in the US, where he has curated exhibitions and lectured extensively. He has also published widely in journals focusing on Japanese antiques. He has been appointed Guest Curator for an exhibition on important US collections of Japanese dolls to be held at the Mingei International Museum in San Diego, CA, in 2005.

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Пролистать книгу Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo на Google Books.

Following up on Layout Now and Color Now, SendPoints continues to craft practical guidebooks for readers in the design cosmos. This time, it is about the type, which we read and use every day.

Typography Now guides readers through everything they need to know to understand, create, and use Latin, Chinese, and Japanese typefaces in an increasingly interrelated world. The fundamentals, including typographic terms, character structures, style classifications, size, weight, text families, and more will provide readers with prerequisite knowledge to understand and identify different types. Typography Now introduces readers to esteemed type foundries and their design processes and techniques to demonstrate how type is created. The coverage of layout rules will help readers grasp how to effectively design with text on the page as well as combine text with mixed scripts (Chinese, Japanese, and Roman).

In addition, you will find some of the best examples of typographic choices, as well as talks with experts at type foundries about the present and future of type, and demonstrations of some of the hottest new typefaces.

Timeless Beauty. Land of the Rising Sun at the Turn of the Century

The Golden Age of Travel neatly overlaps with the reign of the Emperor Meiji, which began in 1868 with the overthrow of a feudal order that had kept Japan secluded from the outside world for more than 200 years. In the ensuing four-and-a-half decades, Japan became a less remote and more attractive destination for the international traveler and a popular subject for photographers, both Japanese and foreign.

In 536 pages, this book presents more than 700 vintage images of Japan, texts by a specialist in early Japanese photography, and extensive commentary through thematic sections exploring traditions as varied as tea, silk and Buddhism, as well as itineraries across five regions, all of which guide the reader through this captivating land.

Our travels take us from the enchanting vistas of Nagasaki to the seagirt shrine of Miyajima, long esteemed among the "Three Views" considered the most beautiful in Japan; from the rambling streets of Kobe to the energetic bustle of Osaka; from the cornucopia of historic sights in the ancient cities of Kyoto and Nara to the twin delights of shopping and sex in the vibrant modern port of Yokohama; from the timeless beauty of Mount Fuji and the mountainside scenery of nearby Hakone to the urban melange of Japan’s modern capital, where the traditions of Edo and the modernity of Tokyo co-existed; and, finally, from the jewel-like architecture of Nikkō set amidst forests and waterfalls to the islet-studded bay of Matsushima, until our journey ends in the remote wilds of Hokkaido, home to the indigenous Ainu.

The authors:

Sebastian Dobson is an independent scholar of the history of early photography in Japan and East Asia. He lectures widely in Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan, and his publications include encyclopedia entries, book reviews, numerous articles and catalogue essays for exhibitions hosted in Boston, Singapore and Tokyo.

Sabine Arqué is a photo researcher, editor, and author. She has collaborated on numerous publications on the themes of travel, the history of tourism, and photography.

'a mixture of artistic sensibility and imagery that leaves nothing to the imagination'  - The Telegraph

In early modern Japan, thousands of sexually explicit paintings, prints, and illustrated books with texts were produced. These were euphemistically called ‘spring pictures’ (shunga) and were originally created by the artists of the ukiyo-e school of the floating world to advertise brothels in 17th-century Yoshiwara, including the celebrated artists Utamaro and Hokusai.

This catalogue of an exhibition in 2013/4 at the British Museum aims to answer some key questions about what shunga is and why was it produced. Erotic Japanese art was heavily suppressed in Japan from the 1870s onwards and it is only in the last twenty years or so has it been possible to publish unexpurgated examples in Japan. 

Drawing on the latest scholarship and featuring over 400 images of works from major public and private collections, this book sheds new light on this unique art form within Japanese social and cultural history.

About the author:

Timothy Clark, Head of Japanese Section, British Museum

Nippon Nests. Today’s most exceptional Japanese homes

So rich and unique is traditional Japanese architecture that it’s nearly impossible to improve upon. Yet contemporary Japanese designers and architects keep finding fresh approaches to refurbish and take inspiration from the ways of old. Whether it’s a pristinely preserved traditional house or a sleek modern apartment, the best Japanese homes share a love of cleverly designed spaces and warm materials like wood, brick, and bamboo.

From a thatched roof farmhouse occupied by a Zen priest to Tadao Ando’s experimental 4x4 House, from Shigeru Ban’s conceptual Shutter House to a beautiful domestic homage to bamboo, this elegant compendium traverses the multifaceted landscape of Japanese living today.

Enriched by 170 brand new, unpublished photographs, this edition takes you on breathtaking journey through the Land of the Rising Sun — complete with a list of addresses, should you wish to undertake this journey to Japan’s most fascinating inns and homes yourself. An insightful glossary of key terms, such as tatami, shoji, and noren, will also help you come to grips with all elements of Japan’s unique aesthetic of Eastern minimalism.

The photographer

Swiss photographer Reto Guntli, based in Zurich, regularly travels the world shooting for international magazines. He has published numerous books and contributed to such TASCHEN publications as Inside Asia, Living in Japan, Living in Bali, Great Escapes Asia and Great Escapes Europe.

The authors

Author, art collector, calligrapher, and restorer of old houses, Alex Kerr has lived in Japan and Thailand since 1964. As a writer, he is known for Lost Japan (1996), Dogs and Demons (2001), and Another Kyoto (2016).

Kathy Arlyn Sokol is a writer, interviewer, and award-winning narrator. Her published works include Rasta Time, based on her exclusive interview with Bob Marley, and Another Kyoto, co-written with Alex Kerr, on the secrets of the ancient city. She presently resides in Udaipur in Rajasthan, India.

The editor

Angelika Taschen studied art history and German literature in Heidelberg, gaining her doctorate in 1986. Working for TASCHEN from 1987, she has published numerous titles on art, architecture, photography, design, travel, and lifestyle.

About the series:

TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we celebrate 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The 40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program — now more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.

An in-depth exploration of the sometimes charming, sometimes gruesome feline creatures and ghosts of Japan. Davisson illuminates the vast realm of kaibyō, or supernatural cats, with historical and modern cultural context. Lushly illustrated in full colour with dozens of ukiyo-e prints and drawings. A must-have book for the Japanophile and cat-lover alike! First in a forthcoming series about the supernatural animals of Japan.

"Kaibyō: The Supernatural Cats of Japan is an extremely diverting and stunningly produced celebration of the phantom feline in its myriad of manifestations ― some alluring, others humorous and many outright terrifying. Award-winning translator, writer, lecturer, manga scholar, Japanese folklore expert and author of Yūrei: The Japanese Ghost, Zach Davisson is the ideal guide to this furred and fanged underworld. An expertly researched and engagingly penned text is embellished by the inclusion of an intriguing selection of uncanny cat tales by other authors and centuries’ old legends newly translated by Mr. Davisson. The publishers must be congratulated for creating a book of extraordinary lavishness. Although a paperback release, no expense has been spared in an exquisitely designed book brimming with a toothsome array of full-colour artwork reproductions."

― review by Scot D. Ryersson and Michael Orlando Yaccarino, co-authors of Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati and The Marchesa Casati: Portraits of a Muse

About the Author:

Zack Davisson is an award-winning translator, writer, and scholar of Japanese folklore and ghosts. He is the author of Yūrei: The Japanese Ghost (Chin Music Press), translator of Eisner Award-winning and Harvey-nominated Shigeru Mizuki’s Showa 1926-1939: A History of Japan, and a 2014 nominee of the Japanese-US Friendship Commission Translation Prize. Other translation works include the famous folklore comic Kitaro (Drawn and Quarterly) and the works of Satoshi Kon (Dark Horse).

Discover the exceptional artistry and rich traditions being kept alive by Japanese artisans in the 21st century.

In an era where global interest in handmade, small-batch products is heightening as a response to mass production, Handmade in Japan takes a look inside the workshops of the country’s artisans, revealing their endless pursuit of excellence, and what it means to dedicate one’s life to the stewardship of irreplaceable cultural heritage. Find inspiration in the exploration of handmade processes using sustainable materials and discover the lengths these makers go to in ensuring every product is perfect.

From hand-painted kimono dyeing to wooden trays carving, Handmade in Japan meets the craftspeople of Japan's diverse regions with unique insights into their traditions and how they work.

About the Author:

Irwin Wong is an editorial and commercial photographer based in Tokyo. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, he moved to Japan in 2005. He developed an interest in craftsmanship after photographing several artisans for work. His clients include Apple, The Washington Post, Forbes, and Nike.

Station to Station. A historic trail through the heart of Japan, as told by two legendary woodblock artists

This XXL edition reprints Keisai Eisen and Utagawa Hiroshige’s legendary series The Sixty-Nine Stations along the Kisokaidō, a stunning representation of the historic route between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. Sourced from one of the finest surviving first editions, this vivid tapestry of 19th-century Japan is in equal parts a major artifact of its imperial past and a masterwork of woodblock practice.

The Kisokaidō route through Japan was ordained in the early 1600s by the country’s then-ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu, who decreed that staging posts be installed along the length of the arduous passage between Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Kyoto. Inns, shops, and restaurants were established to provide sustenance and lodging to weary travelers. In 1835, renowned woodblock print artist Keisai Eisen was commissioned to create a series of works to chart the Kisokaidō journey. After producing 24 prints, Eisen was replaced by Utagawa Hiroshige, who completed the series of 70 prints in 1838.

Both Eisen and Hiroshige were master print practitioners. In The Sixty-Nine Stations along the Kisokaidō, we find the artists’ distinct styles as much as their shared expertise. From the busy starting post of Nihonbashi to the castle town of Iwamurata, Eisen opts for a more muted palette but excels in figuration, particularly of glamorous women, and relishes snapshots of activity along the route, from shoeing a horse to winnowing rice. Hiroshige demonstrates his mastery of landscape with grandiose and evocative scenes, whether it’s the peaceful banks of the Ota River, the forbidding Wada Pass, or a moonlit ascent between Yawata and Mochizuki.

Taken as a whole, The Sixty-Nine Stations collection represents not only a masterpiece of woodblock practice, including bold compositions and an experimental use of color, but also a charming tapestry of 19th-century Japan, long before the specter of industrialization. This TASCHEN XXL edition revives the series with due scale and splendor. Sourced from the only-known set of a near-complete run of the first edition of the series, this legendary publication is reproduced in optimum quality, bound in the Japanese tradition and with uncut paper. A perfect companion piece to TASCHEN’s One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, it is at once a visual delight and a major artifact from the bygone era of Imperial Japan.

The editor and author:

Andreas Marks studied East Asian art history at the University of Bonn and obtained his PhD in Japanese studies from Leiden University with a thesis on 19th-century actor prints. From 2008 to 2013 he was director and chief curator of the Clark Center for Japanese Art in Hanford, California, and since 2013 has been the Mary Griggs Burke Curator of Japanese and Korean Art, head of the Department of Japanese and Korean Art, and director of the Clark Center for Japanese Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

The author:

Rhiannon Paget studied at Tokyo University of the Arts and received her doctorate in Japanese Art History from the University of Sydney, Australia. The curator of Asian art at the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, she has published research on Japanese woodblock prints, textiles, board games, and nihonga.