Enter the enchanting world of legendary director Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro.

Including 30 different hand-drawn final frames from the film, this collection of postcards (to keep or send) celebrates the beautiful art and story of Totoro.

A true delight for Studio Ghibli and animation fans!

About the Author:

Studio Ghibli is a Tokyo-based animation film studio founded by directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. The studio has produced several short films and more than 20 feature-length films, including My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and the Academy-Award winner Spirited Away.

In the Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible knitting guru Hitomi Shida shares some of her favorite needlework patterns.

Shida's strikingly original designs and variations on every imaginable classic stitch result in intricate patterns that form the basis for beautiful and unique knitted fashions. This is the perfect book for the experienced knitter who is looking for new stitches that yield spectacular results!

This Japanese knitting book features a wide range of rewarding and intricate stitches including:

- cables
- popcorn stitches
- twisted stitches
- edgings

and many more…

A set of detailed, step-by-step diagrams show you how to execute all the basic stitches. Instructions and diagrams for a series of small projects offer practice working with large patterns, lacy patterns, pattern arrangement and round yokes among other things.

The knitting projects include:

- A classic hat made using large patterns
- An elegant scarf in lacy patterns
- The ever-popular fingerless mittens
- Thick socks that can be made using various patterns
- A feminine collar using round stitching

And much more!

This Japanese stitch dictionary represents a whole new adventure for knitters and is sure to become a valued reference for experienced knitters.

About the Author:

Hitomi Shida is a well-known Japanese designer of hundreds of original knitting stitches and knitted garments. She has been teaching, designing and writing books for over 20 years, and her work already enjoys a worldwide following among Japanese knitting fans. 

Gayle Roehm now devotes herself to fiber arts and happily spends her days with yarn and needles. She has lived in Japan, studied the language for many years, and has knit from Japanese patterns for most of her knitting career. Gayle teaches at knitting gatherings around the country and occasionally publishes her own designs. She's been one of Hitomi Shida's biggest fans for over 15 years.

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Пролистать книгу Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible: 260 Exquisite Patterns by Hitomi Shida на Google Books.

With over 300 stunning photographs and woodblock prints along with extensive historical and cultural commentary, Japanese Swords is the ultimate authority on Samurai weaponry.

Historically, Japanese warriors considered their swords to be more elevated than simple weaponry. Their swords were both lethal tools and divine companions -- social and religious icons. Traditionally worn by the samurai as a sign of social status, the Japanese sword represented the junction between the ruling military class and those whom they ruled. Moreover, the samurai sword was a technological and artistic marvel. Many scholars consider it to be the finest sword ever constructed.

Concerning symbolism and historical importance, no other blade comes close to the Japanese sword. With a historical, iconographical, and technological perspective, author Cohn M. Roach provides an in-depth study of these magnificent weapons in Japanese Swords. This richly illustrated sword book weaves the blade's primary influences together, tracking its history and illuminating its progress from infancy to grandeur. By studying the evolution of the Japanese sword from this perspective, we better understand Japan and its warrior archetype.

Combining research materials from multiple disciplines, Roach uses his expertise as an educator to guide readers through the sword's rise to greatness in a unique way. This book discusses the history, development, and spiritual symbolism of the sword, as well as the esoteric metallurgical techniques used in making it. It also covers the intense training practices used by skilled swordsmen.

Japanese Swords also includes accompanying online videos featuring a beautifully-filmed documentary that explores the traditional swordmaker's craft, an introduction to the Japanese sword at a sword shop in Kyoto and a visit to a dojo for a beginner's class in the medieval sword-drawing art called iaido.

About the Author:

Colin M. Roach, M.Ed. lives in the high mountains of Utah with his wife and three sons. He is a private school administrator with expertise in the areas of differentiated teaching and learning, and a member of the All Kinds of Minds Institute's national teaching faculty. Mr. Roach is an avid student of Japanese history, culture, and martial arts. Four generations of familial connection to Japan have fueled Mr. Roach's passionate study of Japan's archetypal warrior culture. In addition to his academic study of sword-related symbolism, he has trained with some of the top teachers of aikido and iaido in Japan and America. He holds the ranks of Youdan (4th degree) in iado and Sandan (3rd degree) in aikido. He also holds the teaching title ""Shidoin" in both arts. Mr. Roach often travels to teach sword-related symbolism, traditional Japanese swordsmanship, the etiquette involved when handling a Japanese sword, and iado's role in cultural preservation.

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Пролистать книгу Japanese Swords: Cultural Icons of a Nation: Cultural Icons of a Nation: The History, Metallurgy and Iconography of the Samurai Sword на Google Books.

250 Japanese Knitting Stitches contains the original collection of knitting stitches first published by Hitomi Shida in 1996.

Copies of the original Japanese edition have been jealously coveted by knitters around the world, and now Tuttle Publishing brings you this classic in English for the first time!

Hitomi Shida's previous work, the Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible was released by Tuttle in October 2017 and has already been purchased (and tested) by thousands of avid knitters who are thrilled to discover a treasure trove of elegant and intricate new patterns. 250 Japanese Knitting Stitches was Hitomi Shida's first effort and, like its successor, is filled with her highly original and beautiful designs and variations on knitting classics.

Translated and introduced by veteran knitting instructor Gayle Roehm, the best-known teacher of Japanese knitting in America. Roehm guides knitters through the particulars of the patterns and explains how to execute the stitches.

This knitting reference book features the following:

- Stitches designed for borders and edgings
- Beautiful cable stitches, both simple and elaborate
- Elegant popcorn stitches from fine to bold
- Multiple variations on individual patterns

Shida's finished projects are a wonder to behold and accomplished knitters will brave even the most daunting of stitch patterns to create them. Filled with 250 distinctive and inventive patterns--with a stitch diagram and photo for each pattern--this highly anticipated book is destined to be on every knitter's bookshelf.

About the Author:

Hitoi Shidma is a well-known Japanese designer of thousands of original knitting stitches and knitted garments, cultivating a worldwide following of fans. Her intricate and elegant patterns have made her the most famous knitting guru in Japan. She has been teaching, designing and writing books for over 20 years.

Yokai Attack! is a nightmare-inducing one-stop guide to Japan's traditional monsters and creepy-crawlies.

Yokai are ethereal sorts of beings, like ghosts, nearly always encountered at night; everyone has their own take on how they might look in real life and what sorts of specific characteristics and abilities they might have. This book is the result of long hours spent poring over data and descriptions from a variety of sources, including microfilms of eighteenth-century illustrations from the National Diet Library in Tokyo, in order to bring you detailed information on almost 50 of these amazing creatures for the first time in English.

Illustrations, created by the talented Tatsuya Morino, detail the potential appearance of each yokai. Alongside each illustration is a series of "data points," with each yokai's significant features at a glance -- especially handy for any potential close encounters.

Yokai Attack! will surely convince you that Japan's tradition of fascinating monsters is a long one -- yet far from being history.
Book 1 of 3 in the Yokai Attack! series. Others include Ninja Attack! and Yurei Attack!

About the Author:

Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda are a husband and wife team who run a Tokyo-based translation company that specializes in producing the English versions of Japanese video games, comic books, and literature. They are the co-authors of Ninja Attack! and Yurei Attack!, both originally published by Kodansha International and with new expanded editions from Tuttle Publishing.

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Пролистать книгу Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide на Google Books.

A major survey of the Japanese designers, artisans, manufacturers and technologies that have shaped the world of modern design

A dedication to craft and the finest production quality have been an integral part of culture and day-to-day life in Japan for centuries. For the Japanese, the concept of design is not limited to functionality or materiality, but wholly connected with ancient culture and rituals. In this sense, a chair is much more than what you sit on, a cup more than what you drink from: these objects are to be reflected upon, to be touched and cherished.

As mass manufacturing became widespread in the post-war period, fascinating cross-cultural exchanges began to take place between Japan and the West. These gave rise not only to timeless objects of great beauty and utility, but innovations in materials, form and technology. Far beyond the icons of Japanese design – the perfectly weighted Kikkoman soy sauce bottle, Yanagi’s butterfly stool, the Sony Walkman – the products and objects that have emerged from the country over the past seven decades, few of which have been widely exported, serve to delight and draw admiration. In recent years, a new generation of designers – Nendo, Yoshioka – have taken Japanese creativity into entirely new territory, reconceptualizing the very meaning of design.

No attempt has been made to present a complete overview of Japanese design, until now. Showcasing over eighty designers, hundreds of objects, and contributions from both Japanese and Western design experts, this volume will become the definitive work on the subject for many years to come.

Contents List:

Foreword by Maasaki Kanai • Introduction: The Craft of Japanese Design • The Design Titans • The Designers and Everyday Icons: Tables & Chairs • Essay by Naomi Pollock • Food & Drink • Essay by Makoto Shimazaki • On&Off • Essay by Shinji Hamada • Posters & Packaging • Warp & Weft • Essay by Matilda McQuaid • Lifestyle & Leisure • A–Z of Designers

About the Author:

Naomi Pollock is an American architect who writes about Japanese design and architecture. Her work has appeared in numerous publications on both sides of the Pacific, including A+U, Dwell, Kinfolk, Wallpaper* and Architectural Record, for whom she is the Special International Correspondent. In addition, she is the author of several books, including Modern Japanese House, Made in Japan: 100 New Products, Jutaku: Japanese Houses and Sou Fujimoto. In 2018, she was selected to join the College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects. Masaaki Kanai is President of Ryohin Keikaku, the retailer and manufacturer of the leading Japanese brand Muji.

Keiko's unique approach to ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, combines traditional techniques with modern tastes. Her influences -- which range from sculpture to today's Western floral design -- come together to create one-of-a-kind arrangements that are authentic and eye-catching, simple and graceful, and possible for anyone to achieve.

This book presents step-by-step instructions for creating 20 stunning ikebana arrangements in a range of sizes and styles. Each of the flower arrangements can be completed in just three simple steps and uses easy-to-find floral materials and containers. The book also includes an introduction to the history of ikebana as it relates to Japan and Japanese culture, as well as a guide to the basic rules of ikebana design and floral techniques. Suggestions for finding and choosing materials and supplies make it easy to learn how to arrange flowers and gain a hands-on appreciation of the art of Japanese flower arranging.

About the Authors:

Keiko Kubo started taking ikebana classes as a teenager in Japan. After coming to the United States to pursue her art, she graduated from the School of Art Institute of Chicago with a master of fine arts degree, majoring in sculpture, and has also studied Western floral art. Keiko resides in Chicago, IL.
Erich Schrempp is a Chicago-based photographer specializing in illustrative images. His fine art and commissioned work can be viewed at www.schremppstudio.com.

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Пролистать книгу Keiko's Ikebana: A Contemporary Approach to the Traditional Japanese Art of Flower Arranging на Google Books.

In 1868, Japan underwent a dramatic transformation following the overthrow of the shogun by supporters of Emperor Meiji, marking the end of feudal military rule and ushering in a new era of government that promoted modernizing the country and interacting with other nations.

Japanese print culture, which had flourished for more than a century with the production of color woodcuts (the so-called ukiyo-e, or “floating world” images), also changed course during the Meiji era (1868–1912), as societal changes and the once-isolationist country’s new global engagement provided a wealth of new subjects for artists to capture. Featuring selections from the renowned Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts’ permanent collection, Japanese Prints in Transition: From the Floating World to the Modern World documents the shift from delicately colored ukiyo-e depictions of actors, courtesans, and scenic views to brightly colored images of Western architecture, modern military warfare, technology (railroad trains, steam-powered ships, telegraph lines), and Victorian fashions and customs.

About the Authors:

Rhiannon Paget is the curator of Asian art at the John & Mabel Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida. Karin Breuer is curator in charge of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts.

A crimson fish wrestles a man. A horned demon stares menacingly. 

These vivid scenes are tattoos, created in pain, incised in the flesh of the Yakuza, Japan's feared secret society of gangsters. They are the visions of the Irezumi, the legendary tattoo artists, who spend years creating living masterpieces. Photographer Sandi Fellman describes this strange and violent world both in her text and in her stunning, large 20 x 24 inch Polaroid photographs.

About the Author:

Sandi Fellman is a well-known photographer whose work has been featured in many one-person and group exhibitions in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Her photographs can be found in numerous private and public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bibliotheque Nationale, and Center for Creative Photography. Her work has also been widely published over the past fifteen years.

Drawing on images of women and men from the heyday of Japanese printmaking, this book explores the subtle iconography and complex symbols inherent in the tradition of ukiyo-e (traditional Japanese woodblock printing meaning 'Fleeting World'). The intriguing elements refer to Japanese history, literature, mythology, fashion, folklore and gossip of the Edo period and are at times difficult to discern, let alone grasp, without proper knowledge. Divided into classic printmaking themes such as beautiful women, heroes, actors and shunga (erotic prints), this lavishly illustrated book provides readers with the keys to understanding the hidden meanings in more than 100 top Japanese prints. 

Beautiful women – including ladies from Edo's famous Yoshiwara brothel district – take up much of the book. Heroes and villains illustrate Japan's rich mythological and pseudo-historical past. The popular pastimes of kabuki and sumo are also covered: famous actors play their best-known roles as brave men or delicate geisha. These colourful masterpieces demonstrate the economy of line and powerful expression of the woodblock medium. Each print is explored in the finest detail in order to explain the many riddles of ukiyo-e – that intriguing and captivating mode of visual expression that had such a profound influence on Western art.

About the Authors:

Chris Uhlenbeck has been a dealer in Japanese prints for 40 years. He acted as curator of many exhibitions in the field of Japanese art, starting with the major retrospective exhibition on 20th-century Japanese prints from the Robert O. Muller collection in 1992 for the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, The Fondation L'Hermitage in Lausanne and the Musée Marmottan in Paris. From 2007, he fulfilled the role of curator of the Nihon no Hanga museum in Amsterdam for 10 years. Between 2011 and 2021 he created various exhibitions in the Japan Museum SieboldHuis in Leiden: on Hiroshige (2011), Yoshitoshi (2012) Kuniyoshi (2013), Kunisada (2015) and recently on Gekko (2020). He is co-author of the recent Ludion publication Shin Hanga: The New Prints of Japan 1900–1960 (2022).

Josephine Smit is a scholar and lecturer who obtained her master's degree in Japanese Studies from Leiden University, The Netherlands. Specialising in Japanese politics and international relations, she wrote her master's thesis on the evolution of post-disaster mental health care responses in Japan after conducting research for a year at Kobe University, Japan. As a freelancer, Smit lectures on kimono culture. Smit is currently employed as a Japanologist at both Japan Museum SieboldHuis and Hotei Japanese Prints in Leiden doing Ukiyo-e related research and exhibition management.

Jim Dwinger is a scholar of Japanese art history with a specialization in woodblock prints. He is co-author of the recent Ludion publication Shin Hanga: The New Prints of Japan 1900–1960 (2022) and is currently involved in preparing an upcoming catalogue of prints by Utagawa Hiroshige. He is also a member of the editorial board of Andon, Journal of the Society for Japanese Art.

In love with all things Japan or looking to absorb a little Japanese wisdom into your daily life?

From the philosophies of ikigai and wabi sabi to kitsch karaoke nights and futuristic robot restaurants; traditional tea ceremonies and tranquil onsen dwellings to cosplay culture and J-Pop megastars; Japan is full of intriguing contradictions.

Though renowned for its ultramodern capital Tokyo - a sprawling neon-lit metropolis straight from the pages of a science fiction novel - Japan is still deeply rooted in ancient tradition. And while the country runs with clockwork precision, the cultural life of the inhabitants is transformed with the changing of the seasons, a testament to the enduring power of nature's rhythms.

With each page alive with facts, history and inspiration, Be More Japan unlocks the secrets behind modern Japanese living - whether you're eating sushi in London or enjoying the cherry blossoms in San Francisco. And if you're dreaming of a future trip to Japan, this book will get you closer to your destination before you've even departed.

About the Author:

Experience the world with DK Eyewitness.
DK Eyewitness' highly visual guides show you what others only tell you, with easy-to-read maps, tips and tours to inform and enrich your trip.
Our travel writers report on what to see, eat, drink and do around the world, while the very best photographs and illustrations bring cities, regions and countries to life. We publish guides to more than 200 destinations around the world, from handy pocket-sized city guides to comprehensive country guides.
DK is the world's leading illustrated reference publisher, producing beautifully designed books for adults and children in over 120 countries

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Пролистать книгу Be More Japan: The Art of Japanese Living на Google Books.

Following the former best-selling title; Heroes and Heroines, this title showcases the most trendy and updated illustrations by about 60 prominent character designers covering both video games and animation. Featuring a bilingual interview with Shiro Miwa, a leading comic artist who is also a character designer of 7th Dragon 2020 (cover art). Featured animations and video games designed from these titles: Girls and Panzer; Kantai Collection; Kill la Kill; Attack on Titan; METAL GEAR SOLID V; and much more.

The first comprehensive, career-spanning monograph of NUNO, one of Japan’s most innovative and respected textile design studios

Named with a simple word meaning ‘cloth’, NUNO is one of Japan’s most important textile-design companies. Founded in 1984 by the legendary Junichi Arai and the company’s current director, Reiko Sudo, it is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative textile producers. Known for weaving together tradition and cutting-edge technology, NUNO designers are inspired by the past, present and future, integrating unexpected elements, such as paper or feathers or aluminium, with industrial methods, such as spatter-plating and chemical etching. All NUNO textiles – more than 2,500 have been created – are produced in Japan and are usually the handiwork of an individual craftsperson. Each bolt of cloth has a story to tell.

Though their textiles appear regularly in books, textile exhibitions and museum collections, a comprehensive NUNO monograph has not existed - until now. Featuring the most outstanding, influential or experimental fabrics, the book is organized into seven chapters, each based on a theme deriving from the onomatopoeic coupling in Japanese that defines a family of fabrics. For example, ‘Shima Shima’, meaning ‘striped’, presents striped designs ranging from bold and contrasting like zebra to subtly variegated like a tabby cat. Based on interviews, archival research and factory visits, the texts are illustrated with specially commissioned photos and drawings. Interspersed are essays by a wide range of contributors, from writer Haruki Murakami and architect Toyo Ito to curator Anna Jackson.

Bringing all the threads together in a beautifully designed package, NUNO is a document of exceptional beauty and a rare glimpse into the essence of Japanese design.

Contents List:

Foreword
Introduction
1. FUWA FUWA: Fuwa Fuwa by Haruki Murakami; Portrait of a Textile: Threadstray
2. SHIWA SHIWA: Shiwa Shiwa by Kenya Hara; Portrait of a Textile: Paper Rolls
3. SHIMA SHIMA: Stripes of All Colours by Brooke Hodge; Portrait of a Textile: Origami Weave
4. KIRA KIRA: Shining Within by Akane Teshigawara; Portrait of a Textile: Amate
5. SUKE SUKE: Three Transparencies by Toyo Ito; Portrait of a Textile: Turkish Wall
6. ZAWA ZAWA: Poems by Arto Lindsay; Portrait of a Textile: Jellyfish
7. BORO BORO: Essay by Anna Jackson; Portrait of a Textile: Colourplate On Colours
Chronology of Textiles
Acknowledgements
Biographies
Picture Credits

About the Authors:

Reiko Sudo is one of Japan’s most influential contemporary textile designers and managing director of NUNO. In recent years, she has become known as an advocate for textile artisans in Japan, creating designs that are technologically forward without diminishing the value of handicraft. Naomi Pollock is a design writer who lived and worked in Japan for over 30 years. Her most recent publication is Japanese Design Since 1945 (2020), also published by Thames & Hudson.

Modern by Tradition. A survey of Japan’s contemporary architecture scene

The contemporary architecture of Japan has long been among the most inventive in the world, recognized for sustainability and infinite creativity. No fewer than seven Japanese architects have won the Pritzker Prize.

Since Osaka World Expo ’70 brought contemporary forms center stage, Japan has been a key player in global architecture. With his intentionally limited vocabulary of geometric forms, Tadao Ando has since then put Japanese building on the world’s cultural map, establishing a bridge between East and West. In the wake of Ando’s mostly concrete buildings, figures like Kengo Kuma (Japan National Stadium intended for the Olympic Games, originally planned for 2020), Shigeru Ban (Mount Fuji World Heritage Center), and Kazuyo Sejima (Kanazawa Museum of 21st Century Art of Contemporary Art) pioneered a more sustainable approach. Younger generations have successfully developed new directions in Japanese architecture that are in harmony with nature and connected to traditional building. Rather than planning on the drawing board, the architects presented in this collection stand out for their endless search for forms, truly reacting on their environment.

Presenting the latest in Japanese building, this book reveals how this unique creativity is a fruit of Japan’s very particular situation that includes high population density, a modern, efficient economy, a long history, and the continual presence of disasters in the form of earthquakes. Accepting ambiguity, as seen in the evanescent reflections of Sejima’s Kanazawa Museum, or constant change and the threat of catastrophe is a key to understanding what makes Japanese architecture different from that of Europe or America.

This XL-sized book highlights 39 architects and 55 exceptional projects by Japanese masters — from Tadao Ando’s Shanghai Poly Theater, Shigeru Ban’s concert hall La Seine Musical, SANAA’S Grace Farms, Fumihiko Maki’s 4 World Trade Center, to Takashi Suo’s much smaller sustainable dental clinic. Each project is introduced with photos, original floor plans and technical drawings, as well as insightful descriptions and brief biographies. An elaborate essay traces the country’s building scene from the Metabolists to today and shows how the interaction of past, present, and future has earned contemporary Japanese architecture worldwide recognition.

The editor:

Philip Jodidio studied art history and economics at Harvard, and edited Connaissance des Arts for over 20 years. His TASCHEN books include the Architecture Now! series and monographs on Tadao Ando, Santiago Calatrava, Renzo Piano, Jean Nouvel, Shigeru Ban, Richard Meier, Zaha Hadid, and soon Norman Foster.

Elegantly packaged in a bespoke box, these 100 postcards feature some of the most spectacular examples of artworks made in the age-old woodblock tradition. All sourced from the V&A's outstanding collections, the Japanese Woodblock Print Postcard Box is the third release in the best-selling V&A box set series. Each set celebrates the V&A's status as a source of inspiration for designers, reflecting the unique breadth and depth of a collection that represents over 3,000 years of objects from all over the world.