The Arts Of Japan

Arts Of Japan is a Kodansha International publication.

Early years - Introduction of Buddhism - The zenith of court culture - The court and the Shogunante - Aesthetics of warrior rule - The gilded road to unification - Tokagawa control and the rise of the bourgeoisie - Eyes to the West: the Meiji restoration.

The Art of Japanese Architecture presents a complete overview of Japanese architecture in its historical and cultural context. The book begins with a discussion of early prehistoric dwellings and concludes with a description of works by important modern Japanese architects. Along the way it discusses the iconic buildings and architectural styles for which Japan is so justly famous--from elegant Shinden and Sukiya aristocratic villas like the Kinkakuji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto, to imposing Samurai castles like Himeji and Matsumoto, and tranquil Zen Buddhist gardens and tea houses to rural Minka thatched-roof farmhouses and Shinto shrines. Each period in the development of Japan's architecture is described in detail and the most important structures are shown and discussed--including dozens of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The aesthetic trends in each period are presented within the context of Japanese society at the time, providing a unique in-depth understanding of the way Japanese architectural styles and buildings have developed over time and the great variety that is visible today. The book is profusely illustrated with hundreds of hand-drawn 3D watercolor illustrations and color photos as well as prints, maps and diagrams. The new edition features dozens of new photographs and a handy hardcover format that is perfect for travelers.

Radicals and Realists is the first book in any language to discuss Japan’s avant-garde artists, their work, and the historical environment in which they produced it during the two most creative decades of the twentieth century, the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the artists were radicals, rebelling against existing canons and established authority. Yet at the same time they were realists in choosing concrete materials, sounds, and themes from everyday life for their art and in gradually adopting tactics of protest or resistance through accommodation rather than confrontation. Whatever the means of expression, the production of art was never devoid of historical context or political implication. Focusing on the nonverbal genres of painting, sculpture, dance choreography, and music composition, this work shows that generational and political differences, not artistic doctrines, largely account for the divergent stances artists took vis-a-vis modernism, the international arts community, Japan’s ties to the United States, and the alliance of corporate and bureaucratic interests that solidified in Japan during the 1960s. After surveying censorship and arts policy during the American occupation of Japan (1945–1952), the narrative divides into two chronological sections dealing with the 1950s and 1960s, bisected by the rise of an artistic underground in Shinjuku and the security treaty crisis of May 1960. The first section treats Japanese artists who studied abroad as well as the vast and varied experiments in each of the nonverbal avant-garde arts that took place within Japan during the 1950s, after long years of artistic insularity and near-stasis throughout war and occupation. Chief among the intellectuals who stimulated experimentation were the art critic Takiguchi Shuzo, the painter Okamoto Taro, and the businessman-painter Yoshihara Jiro. The second section addresses the multifront assault on formalism (confusingly known as "anti-art") led by visual artists nationwide. Likewise, composers of both Western-style and contemporary Japanese-style music increasingly chose everyday themes from folk music and the premodern musical repertoire for their new presentations. Avant-garde print makers, sculptors, and choreographers similarly moved beyond the modern—and modernism—in their work. A later chapter examines the artistic apex of the postwar period: Osaka’s 1970 world exposition, where more avant-garde music, painting, sculpture, and dance were on display than at any other point in Japan’s history, before or since. Radicals and Realists is based on extensive archival research; numerous concerts, performances, and exhibits; and exclusive interviews with more than fifty leading choreographers, composers, painters, sculptors, and critics active during those two innovative decades. Its accessible prose and lucid analysis recommend it to a wide readership, including those interested in modern Japanese art and culture as well as the history of the postwar years.

AD 2019: The year the world caught up to AKIRA. Two years before this milestone, author Katsuhiro Otomo worked with artist Kosuke Kawamura to enrobe a Tokyo city block in a collage of gripping moments from the manga that revolutionized an art form. Then, over the next two years, he did it twice more. The result: three electifying compilations of Otomo's art, meandering across the city. And now you can take them home. From 2017-2019, the throngs passing through Tokyo's emblematic Shibuya neighborhood were lucky enough to witness a massive art project. The PARCO department store was closed for renovation, and Katsuhiro Otomo and collage artist Kosuke Kawamura seized on the opportunity to stretch Otomo's landmark manga AKIRA across the barriers separating the construction site from the bustling nightlife of Shibuya, Tokyo. When the project was completed, it was 2019: the very year the story of AKIRA began. To commemorate this milestone, a silver foil-coated collector's box presents an exquisite reproduction of Otomo and Kawamura's work, with the specifications overseen and approved by Otomo-sensei personally. Nearly 75 feet (22.7 meters) of illustrations, speech balloons, and text selected from AKIRA's six volumes stretch across three accordion-bound volumes. A fourth volume includes an exclusive interview with Otomo and Kawamura, as well as photographs of the original exhibition by award-winning photographer TAKAMURADAISUKE. Rounding out the box is a dramatic, 16.5x23.4-inch poster. In this form, Kawamura's recontextualization of Otomo's manga is reminiscent of traditional Japanese emaki (picture scrolls), the narrative scrolls that some scholars see as manga's most ancient ancestors. Don't miss this change to own a singular artifact in the history of anime and manga. Contains Scroll 1: Oct. 25, 2017-May 15, 2018. 29.3 feet (8.94 meters). Scroll 2: May 16, 2018-Feb. 27, 2019. 22.6 feet (6.88 meters). Scroll 3: Feb. 28, 2019-Aug. 8, 2019. 22.6 feet (6.88 meters). 430 x 607 mm poster 52-page hardcover catalog book including new interviews with Katsuhiro Otomo and Kosuke Kawamura and photographs by TAKAMURADAISUKE Rigid, silver cold foil-wrapped box

Presents 17 classic Japanese stories as told through 30 illustrated handscrolls ranging from the 13th to 19th centuries.

Be More Japan is a celebration of all things Japanese. You can take a look through popular sights and pick and choose what interests you to plan your perfect trip. Or take a trip through everything to get the full experience of Japan. Whether you use Be more Japan as a travel guide or to help you learn more about the Japanese culture. Be More Japan helps you understand and experience the best of Japan, both at home and abroad. For those who can’t make the trip to Japan, or who want to carry on the experience when they return, this book also has useful tips and suggestions for how to bring Japanese culture to you, and places where you can see its influence around the world. With this book you can: -Learn about the traditional skills of the tea ceremony and calligraphy -Dive into the captivating culture of Japan, with topics such as art, music, food, wellness and innovation -Find details on topics such as transport, karaoke, ikigai, shopping and hot springs to help you make the most of your trip to Japan Revised and updated, and 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.