Tokyo Maze

Whether contemplating Tokyo's odd-shaped bonsai houses, endless walls of bottles, pachinko parlors, chopstick ballet or the perilous habit of running for trains, the essays in Beauty and Chaos explore Tokyo from the inside to reveal its deeper meanings and show why Tokyo is the most amazing, confusing city in the world. Starting with observations and ending with insights, these essays dig into the ever-present but overlooked slices and morsels of daily life in the world's biggest city. In turns comic, philosophic, descriptive and exasperated, the essays in this collection won acclaim in Japan from Tokyo readers. Beneath Tokyo's perplexing exterior, there's meaning to the frantic swirl. By untangling the contradictions of the city and opening inner connections, Tokyo emerges a fascinating place of chaotic commotion, but serene, human-scale beauty, too. If you're traveling to Tokyo, these essays open up the sense and significance of life in this fast-paced, high-rise megalopolis. If you've ever considered going to Tokyo, these essays will give you more reasons to go, and ways to consider the city when you're there. Originally published in Japanese, these concise, pointed essays are available in English for the first time. Part travelogue, part comparative culture, and all creative essay, Beauty and Chaos taps the mystery of Tokyo and lets the meanings flow. "e;Japanese who are used to Tokyo are caught off guard by his conclusions derived from careful observation, and are struck dumb...Tokyo, the city we are so careless of, suddenly starts to become glorious. It is a wonder!"e; Chunichi Shimbun (Newspaper) (translated from review of Japanese version)"e;Giving up the bias and seeing the city with completely different standards, you will see the unexpected, attractive face of Tokyo. This book is a guide for rediscovering Tokyo that lets us see the city with unique new features."e; Nikkan Gendai (Newspaper) (translated from review of Japanese version)Japanese version available from KADOKAWA Publishers as: a *aa E a aa a aa'ae-'aa(TM)aa zaaa a a -a -a ae'-)

Describes points of interest in Tokyo, recommends hotels and restaurants, and suggests day trips outside the city.

This prize-winning book is both an illustrated tour of a Tokyo rarely seen in Japan travel guides and an artist's warm, funny, visually rich, and always entertaining graphic memoir. Florent Chavouet, a young graphic artist, spent six months exploring Tokyo while his girlfriend interned at a company there. Each day he would set forth with a pouch full of color pencils and a sketchpad, and visit different neighborhoods. This stunning book records the city that he got to know during his adventures. It isn't the Tokyo of packaged tours and glossy guidebooks, but a grittier, vibrant place, full of ordinary people going about their daily lives and the scenes and activities that unfold on the streets of a bustling metropolis. Here you find businessmen and women, hipsters, students, grandmothers, shopkeepers, policemen, and other urban types and tribes in all manner of dress and hairstyles. A temple nestles among skyscrapers; the corner grocery anchors a diverse assortment of dwellings, cafes, and shops--often tangled in electric lines. The artist mixes styles and tags his pictures with wry comments and observations. Realistically rendered advertisements or posters of pop stars contrast with cartoon sketches of iconic objects or droll vignettes, like a housewife walking her pet pig, a Godzilla statue in a local park, and an urban fishing pond that charges 400 yen per half hour. This very personal guide to Tokyo is organized by neighborhood with hand-drawn maps that provide an overview of each neighborhood, but what really defines them is what caught the artist's eye and attracted his formidable drawing talent. Florent Chavouet begins his introduction by observing that, "Tokyo is said to be the most beautiful of ugly cities." With wit, a playful sense of humor, and the multicolor pencils of his kit, he sets aside the question of urban ugliness or beauty and captures the Japanese essence of a great city in this truly vital portrait.

How Serendipity Shaped the Lifeof Author Boyé Lafayette De MenteThis is the personal memoir of author Boyé Lafayette De Mente, the 4th of ten children born to poor parents in an isolated valley in the Ozark Hills of southeast Missouri, and raised during the Great Depression of the 1930s.He went on to have a remarkable life which he attributes to the incredible power of serendipity. As editor of The IMPORTER magazine in Tokyo in the late 1950s and early 1960s and as the author of numerous pioneer books on the mindset and business practices of the Chinese, Japanese and South Koreans he made major contributions to the initial rise of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China as economic superpowers. He played a leading role in helping to launch the career of Thunderbird School of Global Management alumnae brother Merle Hinrichs who became the largest trade magazine publisher in Asia, a major financial donor to Thunderbird and member of the board of directors. And he launched the publishing career of Kentucky hillbilly Larry Flynt who achieved great wealth and notoriety as the publisher of HUSTLER magazine and champion of freedom of speech. [On the day De Mente met Flynt he told his wife that he had just met a 26-year old man who had the intelligence and drive to become president of the United States by the time he was old enough to qualify for the office.] De Mente's encounters and relationships with such extraordinary individuals as Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, America's ranking naval officer during World War II; Akio Morita, co-founder and leading light of what was to become the Sony empire; Toshio Karita, former protocol officer for the Imperial Family of Japan; and Daisetzu Suzuki, Japan's leading Zen master, plus many more, were experiences he could not have even dreamed about before they happened. His story is an example of the potential of ordinary individuals to achieve significant things when life presents opportunities and they follow up on them.

This hilarious graphic guide to Japan is packed with colorful anecdotes, illustrations and even a few helpful pointers! Well, do you want to know how to be a Japanese delinquent, read palms, or teach English? Want to find out the secrets of great tea-ceremony masters, sushi chefs, or successful politicians? Or how about grasping the easy logic behind those apparently indecipherable Japanese characters? These essential questions that more authoritative guidebooks overlook are answered at last in this irreverent, ingenious, and irrepressible comic travel guide to Japan.

An accessible and comprehensive encyclopedia of 1,000 deadstock sneakers––the originals produced for exclusive, limited-edition releases––by trendsetting sneakerhead and infamous reseller Larry Deadstock. “Deadstock” refers to the originals: authentic, unworn sneakers that were produced for limited-edition releases, limited-run reruns, or pairs that have otherwise stopped being made. No longer available from the direct retailers, deadstock is the most desirable, exclusive, and valuable sneaker merchandise in existence, only available from select resell shops and websites such as Larry Deadstock’s. In 1,000 Deadstock Sneakers, deadstock collector and infamous reseller Larry Deadstock teams up with streetwear journalist François Chevalier to dive deep into the origins, history, and trends of international sneaker culture. This book features: The origin story behind the first pair of Air Jordans Basketball legends LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan Groundbreaking designers such as Virgil Abloh Influential figures like Will Smith, Spike Lee, and Travis Scott Informative anecdotes from Larry Deadstock Original advertisements from Nike, Adidas, Air Jordan, New Balance, Rebook, Vans, and more Complete with detailed research, historical context, and trend analysis on the aesthetic appeal of each style, this book explores the significance of the sneaker in fashion and culture today through 1,000 coveted deadstock sneakers of the last 50 years. This is a must-have reference text for sneakerheads and deadstock collectors; eye candy for sports fans, influencers, and all sneaker wearers; and an exploration of a rising phenomenon in fashion and streetwear for anyone interested in contemporary culture. Includes Color Images

Tokyo Maze - 42 Walks is no ordinary travel guide. The author is no stranger to Japan either, having spent over 25 years visiting the country as a student, on work assignments and as a writer. He even lived in Tokyo for five years. Alongside all the main attractions, this guide takes you to places which don't get a mention elsewhere. This 3rd edition has been carefully updated - all information is current as of January 2022. Inside the guide: * 42 complete walking tours to 500 sights in and around Tokyo. * Recommend lunch-break and coffee-stop for each walk. * 20 virtual walks and hints for virtual museum visits. * NEW: Print quality and readability of 48 area maps improved, QR-Codes for all Online Maps available. * Each itinerary begins and ends at a railway or subway station. * 108 photos offer first impressions. * Over 100 insider tips aid readers in their pre-trip preparations and during their stay. * 450 bookmarks enable travellers to access additional information on the Internet. * A calendar shows at a glance which festivals are taking place at any given time. * Online maps are available for 21 tours, featuring additional tips on accommodation, shopping, and food and drink. * Personal Top 10 tips on architecture, observation points, parks and gardens, shopping streets and malls, boutiques, hotels, restaurants, fine arts and other museums, showrooms, theatres, temples and shrines. Regardless of whether you come to Japan on a package holiday or under your own steam or if you're even planning to live in Tokyo for a while, this guide will enrich your stay. Please note: a conscious decision was made to print this guide in black and white in order to provide you with a wealth of detailed and up-to-the-minute information at a low price. If color photographs are a priority, you should opt for the e-book version with color photos.